Sakura in Wasteland
by TohokuDustCo
Summary: Fourteen years after her adventure with the Clow Cards, Sakura Kinomoto finds herself trapped in a dismal world ravaged by a horrible tragedy. Now she must escape back to her own world, along with the help of some old friends.
1. Chapter 1

_A long time ago, on a very peculiar day, my mirror lured someone out of her bed and opened a doorway to my workshop. I don't know if my mirror was being mischievous, or malicious. Perhaps it knew that the curious intruder had a role to play in my… project._

 _I was putting the finishing touches on my latest creation, a world for those who have been forgotten. Satisfied with my progress, I put the magic brush down, and retired to my chambers. Had I known what events would follow, I would have locked away everything; Paint, brush, and thinner._

 _I heard the noises and rushed to see what had happened, but I was too late. The world I had created was ravaged; A wasteland. The mysterious intruder was gone. I did not learn her identity... Well, not for a very long time._

"Where am I?" Sakura asked herself as she came to. Her head was still spinning. The last thing she remembered she was lying in bed, reading, when all of a sudden she was enveloped in a thick, inky darkness.

As her vision came back into focus, Sakura could see she was in some sort of workshop. The large room was crisscrossed by large pipes and all sorts of machinery. The idle equipment let out a low hum. Sakura tried to sit up to get a better look, but something held her back. There were restraints on her wrists and ankles, rendering her unable to move or free herself.

After several failed attempts to break free, she resigned herself to her fate, staring at the machinery looming above her in the dark, stone room as tears began to form under her eyes. _Why?_ was the only question that came to mind as she sat there helplessly.

After what felt to her like an eternity, Sakura heard a wooden door creak open and the sound of approaching footsteps. A figure stepped into view.

"Please," Sakura pleaded. "Let me go!"

The figure looked over at Sakura, and Sakura found herself face-to-face with a woman with long dark hair. Somehow, the woman seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't place her finger on who it was.

"I'll let you go, just as soon as you give me what I want," the woman said, with a scowl.

"And… What's that?" Sakura replied, her voice trembling.

The woman shrugged. "Nothing much. Just your heart." With that line, she flipped a switch and the machinery buzzed to life with a loud roar. The scraping of rusted gears sent Sakura into a cold sweat.

The woman pulled another lever, and the table Sakura was strapped to began to slowly rotate, although it felt like the whole world was rotating around her instead. The table suddenly jerked to a stop. "Perfect! Now don't move," the woman said. Sakura began frantically searching her memory, trying to remember who this person was, or why she would want to hurt her. The ceiling seemed to open up as a large blade descended upon her. She wanted to call out but the sounds got stuck in her throat. She closed her eyes tight and prepared for the worst.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice call out her name. "Sakura!"

 _Am I dead?_

She had little time to ponder the question as a loud crash brought her back to reality. A strange yellow creature buzzed around the woman as she tried frantically to swat it away, but it was far too quick. "Get away from me, you pest!" she shouted in frustration. As the woman grew tired and confused, the creature seized its chance and tackled her to the floor.

Sakura remembered his name all at once. "K-Kero-chan, help!" she called out. The spinning blade drew nearer and nearer to her chest. It seemed to move slowly, taunting her in her imminent peril.

Kero gasped, then fluttered quickly over to the control panel and began flipping switches.

"Oh, no you don't!" The woman leapt to her feet and grabbed him. But it was too late. Sakura's restraints clicked open. Wasting no time, Sakura rolled off the table and onto the floor. She took a deep breath, then stood to confront her captor. "Let him go!"

A sinking feeling grew in Sakura's stomach as a large, black monster appeared in between her and the others. It looked down upon her with a horrible smile as it towered above her, oozing black slime.

Sakura looked for anything she could find to defend herself, but the only thing nearby was a paintbrush at her feet. Still, it was better than nothing. She picked it up and pointed it at the monster, doing her best to appear unafraid of its menacing grin.

However, she was still fully surprised when the monster's grin became a look of fear, and it sunk back into the floor. There was an equally surprised look on the woman's face.

"I said," Sakura shouted, "Let him go!"

"Hmph. Fine. But I'll be back." The woman dropped Kero and fled the room.

"Looks like I was just in time," Kero said as he recovered. He flipped a few more switches and the blade retreated into the ceiling once more.

Sakura smiled. "Kero-chan, am I ever glad to see you!" She looked at the door where the woman had fled. "Who was that, anyway? I feel like I've met her before."

"I'll explain everything later. Right now, we should focus on getting out of here."

"But where is 'here?'" Sakura asked.

"Like I said, I'll explain later," Kero said impatiently.

"Okay. Lead the way."

Sakura followed Kero through a stone corridor, past countless rotting wooden doors. At last they reached a staircase. All that time, Sakura remained silent, despite all of the questions she wanted to ask him. She clutched the brush she had found tightly in her hands.

The staircase led to a door that opened into small courtyard.

Kero shushed her. "I didn't say anything!" Sakura complained.

"We need to be stealthy. The castle is overrun with the Blot's minions," Kero replied.

"The… Blot?"

"Yeah, the Blot. You know, that giant monster made of ink that you saw in the dungeon? If his minions see you, they'll attack you on sight, so you better be careful out here." Sakura could make out a few small blobby creatures patrolling the courtyard through the dark night.

Sakura carefully closed the door to prevent it from slamming shut and drawing attention to her. They moved slowly along the outer wall to avoid being seen, but there was little cover to hide behind. Aside from the occasional bricks strewn about the crumbling stone castle, the courtyard was fairly empty. It didn't take long before the blotlings caught onto them. They began to charge Sakura, and despite their lack of distinguishable faces, she could tell they were not happy.

"Okay, what we did there? Not stealthy," Kero said flatly.

"What do we do?" Sakura cried.

"I don't know, use your head!"

Sakura though back to the brush she had found that had scared off the Blot. Grasping it firmly with both hands, she pointed it at one of the encroaching blobs. _There's gotta be some reason that thing was afraid of this._ The blotlings did not back off like the Blot had. With little time left to act, Sakura began to swing the brush wildly in hopes of fending them off. Much to her surprise, a viscous green liquid sprayed from the tip, soaking the blotlings and dissolving them like acid. Sakura stared at the puddles of ink that remained as she attempted to catch her breath.

"You never fail to surprise me, do you, Sakura?" Kero said.

"I… did that?" A feeling of guilt arose within her. What kind of creature had she just carelessly snuffed out?

"Yep. Sure did. I guess that's no ordinary brush you found."

"Hmm… Do you think it belonged to Clow-san?"

"Maybe. He kept all kinds of secrets, even from me and Yue. But we should focus on getting out of here for now."

Sakura and Kero hurried across the courtyard and through the large wooden door leading out of the castle grounds. They came out into a square dotted with different amusement park rides, each and every one worn far beyond repair. There was no one around, not even one of the monsters. An eerie silence loomed over the landscape.

"Where is everyone?" Sakura asked.

"This park was meant to keep Tomoeda bearable," Kero explained. "But after the Thinner Disaster, construction on the park was brought to a halt."

"Tomoeda? Thinner Disaster?" It seemed every explanation just left Sakura with even more questions.

"It's not the Tomoeda you remember growing up in," Kero said. "Main Street is just ahead, past the clock tower."

The clock tower Kero was referring to loomed ominously over the deserted park, threatening to come crashing down at any moment. Its decorated face, which had likely once been painted with a goofy smile, had now faded into a deranged grin. Sakura wasted no time in walking past it.

The park gate was padlocked, but the unkept wall around it gave Sakura all the footing she needed to climb over. As she set out along the wooded path, she took one last look back the way she came. KEEP OUT was posted on the gate in big red letters, the castle looming prominently in the sky above it. Sakura breathed a heavy sigh.

"Thank you for saving me, Kero-chan," she said after a brief pause.

"Hey, no problem. I always had your back when we caught the Cards, right?"

"What were you doing here, anyway?"

"I've been keeping an eye on that woman. I never expected to run into you though."

"Who is she? I feel like I should recognize her, and yet, I can't," Sakura complained.

"I don't know. But whoever she is, it's a good thing I showed up when I did. It's good to see you. How's the kid doing?"

"Syaoran's not a kid anymore. You can't keep calling him that."

"I can and I will."

"Hmph," Sakura said with a disapproving look. "Anyway, he's doing fine."

"Good, good. Well, let's report back to City Hall. The mayor will want to know that you're here."

Sakura nodded. She was more than happy to get out of that miserable place before they encountered any more trouble. Together they set off down the long road.


	2. Chapter 2

"How much further do we have to walk?" Sakura sighed. They had been trudging along the overgrown road for what felt like a couple of hours, and Sakura was beginning to feel exhausted. She looked back the way they had come, but nothing was visible through the trees.

"Just hold on a little bit longer. It shouldn't be too much further," Kero replied.

Sakura took a deep breath and tried to stay determined. The sooner she got out of the woods, the sooner she would be safe. She was at least relieved that they had not come across any more trouble since they left the amusement park. However, the dense foliage on either side of the road could be hiding all kinds of things that were just waiting to pounce.

"So, where is this place, anyway?" Sakura asked, trying to distract herself from her feelings of unease. "You said it was Tomoeda, but not the one we used to live in?"

"No one is quite sure. All we know is that there's a barrier around this place that prevents anything from getting out. Even if you could survive getting across the Thinner Sea, if you can't make it through the barrier, you're stuck here."

Sakura swallowed hard. "You mean, I can never go home again?" She thought back to Syaoran, who would eventually return home to discover she was missing. Who would be worried sick about her, unable to know that she was alright. Who she may never see again.

"I… don't know. The queen was looking into some way we could break the barrier and escape. But… she never got it figured out."

"You have a queen?" Sakura asked. She found the concept of this Tomoeda being ruled by a monarch both fascinating and odd. She had remembered reading about kings and queens in her books, but to actually meet one would be something else entirely.  
"We did. No one has seen her since the Thinner Disaster, though. Most people have begun to assume that she's… that she's not around anymore."

There was an uncomfortable pause as Sakura took in what she heard. "I'm… so sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of something sad."

"It's alright. It's been almost eight years since the Thinner Disaster. Most people have come to terms with her loss."

"What was she like?"

Kero hesitated a little. "Well, she was kind and highly respected. Out of either stubbornness or passion, when she got an idea in her head, she would pursue it relentlessly. She would do anything she could to make the people happy here. That park was meant to be one of her grandest achievements. She even wanted an apartment built into the castle, so she could see the people enjoying themselves and remember what she was doing it all for. But when she died, everyone lost what hope they had. The park was left to decay, and…"

Noticing the tears forming in Sakura's eyes, Kero cut himself off. "Anyway, ever since then, Kaho has been serving the kingdom in her place."

"Kaho?"

"You may remember her better as Mizuki-sensei. She's been doing her best to help everyone get back on their feet. But progress has been slow. Resources are scarcer now. The sea that surrounds Tomoeda has become toxic, and many have lost the motivation to rebuild. Still, now that you're here, I'm sure that a little bit of hope can be restored."

"Me?" Even though her previous adventures went on to make her famous, Sakura never considered herself to be that much of a big deal. Then again, she was never quite as happy as she thought she would be. She began to find less and less time for her friends, until they fell out of her life, one by one. In the end, though, she still had Syaoran, and that often seemed like enough for her.

"Yes, you. People here still care about you, you know."

Sakura laughed a little. If only for that moment, she forgot about how sore her feet were. Instead, her mind was filled with thoughts of bringing back some hope, even if just a little, into the lives of others.

It was not much longer until the two saw an opening in the trees ahead. As they stepped out into the clearing, Sakura saw rows of dull-colored buildings lining the street. Surrounding the town was a wall of wooden scaffolding, painted blue to mask the cloudy grey sky, although even these had faded considerably. There were several people walking in the street, but none Sakura recognized, and none seemed to notice her coming out of the woods.

"Follow me," Kero said. He fluttered off towards a building to the left of them. Sakura took one more look at the dismal scene before hurrying off after Kero.


	3. Chapter 3

As Sakura reached the threshold of the town hall, she could hear voices drifting out of the open door. One voice she recognized as Kero's, the other was an older woman. The first thing she observed when she walked in was how small the building was. To Sakura's left, a seating area. Towards the back of the building were a couple of empty prison cells. And to her right was a desk at which Kero and the woman were seated.

"That is troubling," the woman said. She was middle-aged and professionally dressed, with long red hair and a calm demeanor. "Now that she knows we're on to her, she's bound to go looking for a new hideout." Hearing Sakura enter, she looked up and smiled. "Oh, my."

Unsure of how to reply, Sakura stood silently in the doorway, twiddling her thumbs.

"Come in, come in," the woman continued. "Keroberos was just telling me about you." Sakura shuffled uncomfortably to the desk and took a seat opposite of her. "Well, haven't you grown a lot since I last saw you?"

"Mizuki-sensei?" Sakura replied, a little stunned. Even though Kero had told her that Mizuki Kaho was there, it was still somewhat strange to see her again after so long.

"Oh, you don't need to call me 'sensei' anymore. I haven't done any teaching in a long time."

"Mizuki-san, I'm so confused," Sakura said in a soft whisper. She was trembling a little. "I don't know where I am, I don't know how I got here…"

Kero looked somberly at Kaho. "No one knows how any of us got here," he said. "It just sort of… happened. We all woke up one day and found ourselves in this town. I searched everywhere to find you, but eventually I realized that you and the kid didn't end up here like everyone else."

"Supposedly the king had the answers, but if he did, he never told anyone," Kaho added. "But he passed away a long time ago, even before the Thinner Disaster."

"No one was quite prepared when the Thinner Disaster came," Kero said. "Though most were able to escape in time, the flood drained the life- and the color- out of Tomoeda. But it wasn't the thinner flood that was the biggest threat from the disaster. It was what came with it; The Blot. From what we've seen, it is a being made from some sort of magical paint and thinner."

Kaho nodded. "However, it seems to be significantly weaker than when it first appeared. Perhaps it is unable to sustain itself any longer?"

"Is that… Is that why she wanted my heart? So she could make it stronger again?" Sakura asked. It was a lot to take in.

"Possibly. If that's the case, though, then we will have to do everything we can to stop it from happening. Otherwise, we risk a second disaster, maybe worse than the one that came before it."

"Do you still have that brush?" Kero asked Sakura. She nodded, pulling the strange brush from one of her dress's pockets and holding it out in front of herself.

"We need to find this woman before she can capture Sakura again," Kero continued, turning to address Kaho. "Or else we need to figure out how to get Sakura out of here."

"Either one won't be easy. We have no idea how to get past the barrier, nor do we know where that woman is hiding out now," Kaho sighed. "It's up to you, Sakura-san."

The two waited patiently for Sakura's answer. But Sakura was torn. If she tried to stop the Blot and failed, it would make things far worse than if she just left, but she couldn't just leave without at least trying to help. Still, the thought of going up against that monster troubled her. She knew there was only one way to stop it. But no matter how terrible it was, Sakura couldn't just kill another living being.

Against her better instincts, Sakura decided to stay. She had no plan. But these people were in distress. "I will do whatever I can to help."

Kaho could see the hesitance in Sakura's eyes. "Are you sure? This isn't just another runaway card. I don't want you to get hurt."

Sakura took a deep breath. _I will definitely be all right,_ she thought to herself. Summoning whatever courage she had, she replied, "Yes. As long as there's something I can do, I won't leave you."

After a brief pause, Kaho said, "Well, then. I guess we can count on you." Kaho stood. "Thank you, Sakura-san. Why don't you hang around town while Keroberos and I try to decide on our next move? There's gotta be something in our records that could provide some hint as to where the woman you saw is hiding out now. Besides, there are some people in town that may want to see you again. We'll come find you when we're done."

Without a word, Sakura nodded and stood as well. As she headed out the door back onto Main Street, She thought once again of home. _Sorry, Syaoran. I'll try to get home as soon as I can._


	4. Chapter 4

Though it was nice to sit down after her long walk from the old park, Sakura grew somewhat restless as she waited for Kaho and Kero to discuss whatever plan they were concocting. Tomoeda was a fairly small town, with only a few side roads branching off of Main Street. It was so small, it seemed, that there were no vehicles in sight. Everyone simply walked to their destination. As pedestrians passed, they murmured amongst themselves. Sakura grew red with embarrassment. Maybe they recognized her, as Kero suggested, but it only just occurred to Sakura that she was still in her nightgown. Either way, she decided to get off of the street. She turned to look at the building behind her. 'Emporium' was written in green letters on the window over the door.

The chime of a bell announced her entrance as she stepped inside. The emporium was fairly empty, both in merchandise and patrons.

"Anything I can help you with?" came a man's voice from the counter.

"No, thank you," Sakura replied. "I'm just-" She stopped short. She could not find the words to express her shock at who she saw. For a moment, they simply stared at each other in disbelief.

Finally the man broke the silence. With a smirk, he said, "Well, you've gotten taller. Monster."

"Oniichan…" For once, her tone was not of anger, but of joy. Running up to the counter, she leaned over and hugged him. "I missed you."

"Geez, Imouto. Don't you go getting all sentimental on me," Touya said, blushing a little as he tried to break free from her embrace. "Did you just roll out of bed?"

"Oh," Sakura laughed. "Something like that."

"In that case, why don't you go pick something out? I can't have my baby sister running around in her pajamas. I have a reputation to uphold."

"I don't have any money."

"That's alright, I own the place."

"Oh, thank you so much!"

"Yeah, yeah."

The Emporium scarcely lived up to its name. The small store's selection was quite limited, but Sakura managed to find a pink dress she liked, with a black belt and a suitably matching black jacket. After a quick change in the restroom, she put the strange brush in the jacket's inside pocket and stepped back out into the store. With a little twirl, she asked, "How do I look?"

Touya shrugged. "Better."

Sakura walked back up to the counter. "How have you and Yukito-san been? Is he here, too?"

"Oh, yeah. He works just down the street. We've been doing alright, all things considered-" Touya was interrupted by the sound of the bell.

"Alright, Touya-kun. What is so urgent that I had to rush over here?" the visitor said. Sakura recognized the voice instantly. She nearly tackled her father to the ground as she ran up to hug him.

"Impeccable timing," said Touya.

"Er, what's going on?" Fujitaka asked with a confounded look.

"Surprise," Touya replied flatly. "She did the same thing to me."

"Otousan! I missed you, too!" Sakura cried, still clinging to her father.

"Oh, boy, here we go again…" Touya said.

"I'm so sorry if I worried you," said Sakura. "I didn't mean to, I was just so busy."

Fujitaka laughed. "Heh, I was never worried. I knew you could take care of yourself." He pat her on the head. "Though we do have quite a bit of catching up to do, don't we, Sakura-chan? I know, how about we head over to the ice cream parlor and talk there?"

"I'd like that."

"You two go ahead," Touya said. "I've got to keep an eye on the shop."

"Alright, suit yourself," Fujitaka replied. He led Sakura back onto the main street. "How long have you been in Tomoeda?" he asked as she followed him down the street.

"Not long. I only got here this morning." She decided not to mention anything more of her arrival.

"I see. So you have been on the outside this whole time. I wonder… Oh, well, nevermind that." At this point they reached the ice cream parlor. Fujitaka held the door open. "After you."

Unlike the Emporium, the ice cream parlor was fairly busy. Some of the patrons Sakura vaguely recognized from school, although she couldn't see anyone she had talked to much. Anyone except…

"Ah, Sakura-san!" greeted the young, white-haired man working behind the counter. The parlor briefly grew silent as the patrons turned to see who had been called out to. The moment passed as quickly as it had arisen.

"Yukito-san?" Sakura asked as she and her father walked up to the counter.

"Yep!" Yukito said. Turning to Fujitaka, he added, "I see you finally found her."

"Actually, Touya-kun did."

Yukito smiled. "Well, then, what will it be?"

"How about two sundaes, to celebrate our family finally being brought back together?"

"Coming up!" Yukito walked off to prepare the order.

"I'm sorry…" Sakura said.

"It's alright, Sakura-chan. You don't have to-"

"No, Otousan, I'm sorry, but… I can't stay."

Fujitaka sat there, a little stunned. "W-Why not?"

"I need to get back. I need to get back to Syaoran."

Fujitaka closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes. I remember him. You really care about him, don't you?"

"Yes, but I really care about you and Oniichan as well."

Fujitaka nodded. "Promise me you won't forget about us here, okay?"

"I promise."

Sakura and her father filled the rest of their time at the parlor with awkward small talk. She could hardly look him in the eyes, and mostly just answered whatever questions he asked. There were so many things she wanted to say, but the thought of leaving him and her brother after being separated so long bore down on her.

"I'm afraid I have to go back to the university," Fujitaka said eventually. "If you're ever in Nakayoshi, feel free to stop by." He stood up and paid before hurrying out the door.

Sakura sat there for a moment longer before heading out herself. She strolled along further down the street, kicking a leaf along with her until she reached the end opposite to town hall. The street went into a roundabout branching off in three separate paths. In the center was a statue depicting an old man, his head held high. He pointed down Main Street, towards the lonely spires of the distant castle. Next to him, holding his hand and looking up at him, was a statue of a young girl with long hair. It was the girl who drew Sakura's attention. The last person from Sakura's childhood to fall out of her life.

"It's a wonderful statue, isn't it?" Kaho's voice came from behind. Sakura turned to face her.

"It's Tomoyo-chan, and…"

"Amimaya-san. The original king of New Tomoeda, and Daidouji-san's great-grandfather."

"Does that mean… Tomoyo-chan is a princess here?" Sakura thought back to all the times Tomoyo had fawned over Sakura's role as Cardcaptor.

"Well, Yes. But-" Kaho's bag began to shake. She opened it up and said, "Oops! Sorry, Keroberos."

Kero popped his head out slightly. "You couldn't have been a little gentler, Kaho?"

Kaho chuckled nervously. "Right. What was it I was talking about? Oh, yes. After Amimaya-san passed away, his granddaughter Daidouji Sonomi-san took his place. She's the one who had this statue commissioned, in his honor. She had it designed after one of a famous entertainer she admired. Apparently he inspired much of her work. The statue, the park… It's a shame the park never was completed."

"Kero-chan told me what happened to the queen. Is Tomoyo-chan also… also gone?" Sakura stumbled on her words.

"I want to say no, but… No one's seen her in eight years. I'm sorry."

Sakura felt a lump in her throat. She wanted to cry. She wanted to curl up in a corner and just stay there. But when she thought back to her friend's bravery all those years ago, despite her own cowardice, she just couldn't give up.

"I understand this must be hard for you-" Kaho said.

Sakura tightened her fist. "No. I know what I have to do. I can't give up now."

Although slightly taken aback, Kaho nodded.

"We think we might have a clue where that woman might be working from," Kero said. "The mountain is the most remote area in Tomoeda. It's an old junkyard just past Penguin Park."

"You'll need this. It's a letter authorizing you to access the mountain just beyond Penguin Park. It's been closed to visitors for years, on account of the danger." Kaho handed her an envelope. "Give it to Yanagisawa-san. She'll be in the park somewhere. Shouldn't be too hard to find." Taking the bag from over her shoulder, she handed it carefully to Sakura, so as not to upset Kero any more. "And this as well. Good luck, you two. I'll stay here and see what else I can find. Take the transit, it's the quickest way there, but you might have to wait a bit for it to show up."

"Thank you, Mizuki-san. I'll do my best."


	5. Chapter 5

Sakura found herself once again waiting. She sat anxiously on a nearby bench, scanning the roads that wound deep into the trees. Every minute that passed was another minute longer until she was finally able to return home, another minute closer until Syaoran came back from work and realized she was missing.

"How far is Penguin Park from here?" Sakura asked, considering walking.

"I dunno. You could probably walk. It might take a while, though," Kero replied, poking his head slightly out of the bag.

"Hm." Sakura's thoughts were interrupted by a quiet rattling. It grew steadily louder, until finally a rusty, ancient-looking bus emerged from one of the wooded roads. It came around the roundabout before stopping in the street in front of Sakura's bench. Sakura stood as the few passengers it was carrying disembarked, and stepped on board.

"Where to?" asked the driver, a young woman dressed in a blue uniform with long black hair tied into a ponytail.

"Penguin Park," Sakura replied, taking a seat by the door.

As the driver pulled away from the curb, she asked, "You're Kinomoto Sakura-san, right?"

"Um, yeah."

"You remember me, right?" The bus looped back around the statue and started down the leftmost road. "How's my stupid cousin Syaoran? You two still together?"

Syaoran only had one cousin, or at least only one Sakura had ever met. "Meiling-chan?"

"I knew it! You really do remember!"

"Heh," Sakura laughed. "You look really different. I could hardly tell it was you. You're a bus driver now?"

"Yep! Beats working in an office all day, I think. Sorry about that, by the way. It's probably because I changed the way I do my hair, right?"

"Well, it's been a long time."

"Yeah. It's been what, like, ten years?"

"Something like that."

"Is Syaoran here too? I'd like to see him again as well."

"Sorry," Sakura said as she watched the trees go by. "Just me."

"Don't apologize. I'm glad to see you, anyway. Let me guess," Meiling said contemplatively. "The plush toy's in that bag you have, am I right?"

"Who are you calling a plush toy?" Kero complained.

"Haha, at least some things never change," Meiling joked. "What are you going to Penguin Park for?"

"We're going to the nearby mountain," Sakura replied.

Kero gave her a stern look. "You can't just go around telling people what we're up to," he whispered.

"What, you don't trust me?" Meiling asked. She glanced into the mirror to look back at them. "I can hear you, you know."

"No, I don't," Kero replied.

"Pfft, whatever," Meiling scoffed. "I don't care if you trust me. But you trust me, though, right, Kinomoto-san?"

Sakura was slightly caught off guard. "Of- Of course I do. We were friends, right?"

"Heh, yeah."

As they reached the end of the conversation, they came up on a tall brick fence with an iron gate. Meiling stopped and opened the door.

"I can't stay here to wait for you, though. I've got a job to do. You'll just have to wait until I make my rounds. See you later."

Sakura stepped off the bus and walked up to the gate. It swung open with ease. Beyond it was a place very different from everywhere else she had been since coming to Tomoeda. Everything seemed cleaner. The hedges were trimmed and the cobblestone walkways were free from litter. A familiar large blue penguin sat in the center of the park, though the paint was somewhat chipped and faded. Sakura did not have time to play on the slide, though. She had her own job to do.

"Yanagisawa-san? Does she mean Naoko-chan?" Sakura thought out loud, looking at the envelope that Kaho had given her. The park seemed to be empty.

"Is she somebody you went to school with?" Kero asked.

"Yeah. She always told these really scary ghost stories."

"I thought you hated ghost stories," Kero said. "Why would you go and hang around somebody like that?"

"I did, but… We were still good friends."

Sakura took another look around. She saw the gate she came in from, another sturdier gate she assumed led to the mountain, the King Penguin, a small wooden shack…

She approached the shack and knocked on the door. A moment later, a woman in a green t-shirt, coveralls, and large glasses answered the door.

"Naoko-san?" Sakura asked.

"Oh," said the woman, rubbing her eyes. "Did you need something?"

"Mizuki-san told me to give you this." Sakura handed her the envelope.

Naoko took the letter out and quickly read through it. "Hmm…What do you want to go there for? There's nothing there but, uh, thinner and garbage," she yawned.

"I'm looking for something."

"Wait right here." Naoko disappeared inside before returning with a set of keys on a keychain. Sakura followed her to the far gate, which she unlocked. Unlike the small gate that led into the park, this one was a large, heavy-looking door.

"Thank you," Sakura said.

"What is it you're looking for?" Naoko asked. "It must be pretty important to you that you'd want to go to the Scrapyard."

"Uh…" Sakura tried to come up with an answer, but nothing came to mind.

"Oh, a secret? Or do you just not know exactly what you're looking for?" Naoko didn't press her for an answer. "You should be careful out there. A lot of the Scrapyard was flooded during the disaster. That stuff everyone calls thinner is nasty. If you fall in, well, you probably won't have to worry about drowning." She turned and walked back to the shack.

Sakura shuddered. The image of the two blotling creatures she destroyed imposed itself on her mind. If she made a mistake out there, would she suffer the same fate?


	6. Chapter 6

As Sakura pushed the heavy door open, she could see the mountain in the distance. It was a pillar of grey and yellow rock that rose into the sky like a solitary, rotten tooth, and the road that led up to it was uneven and covered in fallen branches and decaying leaves. As she progressed through the bog, a putrid smell began to fill the air. She covered her face with her sleeve and braved through it, taking small breaths.

"Ugh, I hate this stuff," Kero said, glancing at the flooded marshes of dead trees and thinner. The further they made it through the marsh, the scarcer the vegetation grew, and the more abundant the sickly green liquid.

Still covering her nose, Sakura replied, "How does anyone live here? Aren't thinner fumes supposed to be dangerous?"

"Normal paint thinner, yes. This stuff isn't really the same. It still smells just as bad, though. Probably worse."

Sakura only felt mildly comforted by this. "Right. Let's just focus on getting out of here," she said.

Eventually the trees gave way and the bumpy dirt road was surrounded by nothing but a sea of thinner. Behind them, Sakura could see the wooded marsh. Even the spires of the castle, which were visible even from Main Street, were lost to the horizon. Ahead, the mountain loomed ever closer. It was not much further until they reached the base. However, the path became more and more difficult to walk on. Her shoes sank into the mud, and she was forced to trudge one step at a time. It wasn't until they neared the rocky cliffside that the ground was solid enough to walk again. The mountain was far bigger up close than it had seemed from Penguin Park.

Sakura could see why Naoko had referred to it as the Scrapyard. Garbage was strewn haphazardly over the rocks. Empty food containers, torn books, and busted electronics were thrown carelessly in piles. Even the shells of old cars, salvaged for spare parts, made this place their final resting ground.

"Are you guys sure about this place?" Sakura asked.

"It's the most remote inhabitable part of Tomoeda," Kero replied. "More or less. And since it's closed off, it's the perfect place to hide for someone who doesn't want to be found."

Sakura looked nervously at the craggy rock face. "I don't suppose you could turn into your bigger form and carry me to the top?"

"Uh, well, I doubt I could carry you. You're not as light as you were back then."

Sakura sighed. She could make out a steep path that led further up the mountain. Broken glass and old magazines crinkled under her feet as she clambered along the slopes. "I can't imagine why anyone would want to live here. People climb these things for fun?" Unfortunately, the path only got steeper the higher she went. Halfway to the peak, she stopped.

"I need a break," Sakura said, panting as she sat on an abandoned sofa. She could see everything from her vantage point. The castle, Main Street, and even King Penguin, a small blue speck on the landscape, all the way across to the other side of the island. "You know," she sighed. "From up here, it's kind of… pretty." She looked up, to the billowing grey clouds that obscured the sky. "It seems almost… peaceful. Like all our problems are behind us."

"And yet, here we are," Kero said. "Heading straight towards them. If it were true, and our problems were really behind us, you'd still be sitting at home, and I… I don't know what I'd be doing."

"Probably stuffing your face," suggested Sakura. They laughed.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it? But once we put an end to all this, we can go back to doing the things we love, with the people we love doing them with. Right?"

Sakura just shook her head. "Even if I can go home, what if I can never come back? I love Syaoran, but I love my family, too. I can't stand that I might never see them again."

"Well, I know you'll make the right choice. And I'll be right there to support you."

"Thank you, Kero-chan." Sakura stood. With a determined look, she said, "Come on. Let's finish this, once and for all."

Kero nodded. "Right."

Sakura watched her footing as the path continued its spiral up the mountain. The path, it seemed, only got smaller as she went up, and the air thinner. A long drop was waiting for her if she fell. Still, she persisted, and Kero fluttered silently behind her.

The path eventually led to a cave, then tapered off. "I guess this is it," Sakura said. She felt a slight chill as she stepped inside. There was little trash this high up, but the cave floor was specked with small pieces of litter. A large metal door was built into the back of the cave.

Sakura walked up to the door. It was shut tight. "How do we get in?"

"I don't suppose we could just knock?" Kero replied.

Sakura looked around for some mechanism that would open the door. As she searched, she noticed something particularly unnerving. A security camera was hidden among the stalactites, watching their every move. She pointed it out to Kero.

"There goes our element of surprise," Kero lamented.

"You don't suppose it-" Sakura was interrupted by a loud hissing of steam. The gate slowly opened up, revealing a stairway down into the heart of the mountain.

"Well." Kero glared down into the darkness. "I suppose that worked out."

"You don't think it's a trap?"

"Oh, it's definitely a trap. But we're ready for anything that lady throws at us, right?"

"Y-Yeah." Sakura approached the stairway and descended into the mountain. It grew darker and darker, until she could barely see in front of her.


	7. Chapter 7

Sakura ran her hand along the wall as she walked to keep her bearings. Kero had gone back into the bag; they didn't want to get separated. The silent hum of electricity reminded of the lab she had woken up in. Other than that, it was silent. There was not a sign of life except the dim light flickering beyond the end of the hall. Sakura moved towards it, taking the brush from her jacket pocket and clutching it by her chest. She stifled her breathing, making as little sound as possible as she snuck along.

The hallway led Sakura to a room lit only by a couple of torches. The air was uncomfortably warm and dry. There was a door on either side of the room, and a couple of ramps in the back that surrounded a balcony overlooking the small room. Sakura half expected to see the woman there, standing on the balcony with a cruel grin on her face. But there was no one there. Only another camera that watched the room from above. Sakura felt even more anxious seeing nobody around. She knew someone was there, watching her through the security cameras.

"Do you think we should go up there?" Sakura whispered.

Kero fluttered out of the bag and took a look around. "Um… Yeah. Let's take a quick look."

"Okay."

Sakura grabbed a torch from its sconce and started up the ramp. The ramps led to a small room that accessed the balcony from the room below. Aside from the torch Sakura was carrying, the room was lit by a set of monitors further back. There were a few shelves which held a small variety of books, and a desk and chair beneath the monitors. Sakura walked up to one of the shelves. Setting the torch down, Sakura pulled a book from the shelf. On its cover was the title _The History of New Tomoeda_.

"So. You came," said a voice suddenly. Sakura gasped and fumbled the book. It made a loud clang against the metal floor that echoed through the halls. The chair by the monitors swiveled around. Seated was a woman with long, tangled black hair and a dress that had been patched so many times, it was difficult to say if any of it was original material. It may have been the dim lighting, but she looked different than the woman they had seen at the castle. "I thought you'd never."

"Who are you? Why are you trying to steal my heart?" Sakura demanded. She held the brush out in front of herself defensively.

"You mean, you don't remember?" The woman took a dismantled security camera from her desk and held it up to her face like a camcorder. "Though, it's been a while since I last tried to steal your heart."

"T-Tomoyo-chan? It's really you? I… Everyone thinks you're dead."

The woman stood and set the camera back on the desk. "Yes. It's me. I'm sorry for letting everyone believe I was dead, but it's for the best. But, why are you here?"

"Someone kidnapped me and tried to take my heart. I'm trying to find her and stop her."

"It wasn't you, was it?" Kero asked.

"No. I didn't even know you were here until you two showed up on my doorstep," Tomoyo explained.

"Then, why are you hiding out here? Why pretend to be dead?" said Sakura.

"It's a long story."

"Do you have any idea who could be after Sakura's heart?" Kero added.

"I- I think so." Tomoyo picked the book Sakura had dropped off of the floor and set it back on the shelf. "After we wound up here, Okaasan wanted to learn the secrets of this world, and eventually find a way out. She set up a lab outside of town and began studying the world and the barrier that keeps us all here. She would tell me about the things she found. It was like a pocket universe, she told me. A small, isolated world. And once we got through the barrier, we would end up back in our own world. Until one day, she just gave up. That's when she started to have that park built past Main Street. I knew then that we would never get home."

"Why did she give up?" Sakura asked.

"She never told me. But I saw the records of her research. She believed that people who ended up here lost their own hearts. Not the physical heart itself, but more of a 'soul' heart. Without it, no one can cross the barrier."

"And that's why that woman wants mine?"

"I think so. But that monster wants it as well. With it, he can also leave this world and wreak havoc on both of our worlds. That woman you had a run-in with was likely Matsumoto Maki-san. She used to work with Okaasan in her research. But when Okaasan abandoned all hope of leaving, she continued to try to break through the barrier. This… caused some tension between the two of them. Matsumoto-san thought Okaasan was abandoning her people by giving up on the barrier. However, they still fought alongside one another when the monster appeared."

"The thinner disaster," Kero observed.

"Yes. They managed to defeat him, but Okaasan lost her life in the process."

"I'm sorry, Tomoyo-chan, I…" Sakura said.

"That was eight years ago. I've come to terms with it," Tomoyo replied. "But you need to get out of here. As long as you're here, Matsumoto-san and the blot's goons will be after you."

"I can help!" said Sakura. "Come back to Tomoeda. Let everyone know you're okay. Together, we can fight them."

"No, we can't. That monster is too powerful, and Matsumoto-san is too desperate. The best thing we can do is get you back to your world before they get their hands on you."

"You're just… giving up?" Kero asked.

"I'm being realistic. We can't win this fight."

"Going back won't work either! I was in the other world when the Blot pulled me into this one! At least right now we can face them together!" Sakura said.

"I see. Fine. But we must hurry," Tomoyo conceded. "And no one can know about me."

"Why not? Don't you miss everyone?"

"Didn't you?"

"Yes. I missed everyone so much. But at least I had people around to keep myself company instead of isolating myself on this awful mountain!"

Tomoyo glared at her. "Do you think I like being here? Scraping by on whatever food I can get and only having these books to keep myself company?"

"Then leave!"

Kero whacked them each hard on the forehead. "Stop it! Have you two forgotten who the real enemy is here?"

"I'm sorry, Kero-chan," Sakura said. "I just-"

"I don't want to hear it," Kero replied. "Whatever happened to the Sakura and Tomoyo I knew?"

"It's been over ten years, Kero-chan," Tomoyo said. "Things change. People change."

Kero sighed. "I get that. But this, this petty squabbling? Where does this get anyone?"

"I said I'd go."

"That isn't enough. If you two don't get along, you may as well be working separately. If you want to get anything done, you two need to make up right now."

"Kero-chan's right," Sakura said. "I'm sorry about what I said."

"I understand. I'm sorry, too," Tomoyo replied.

"Alright, that's better. So, where to, then?"

"Kodansha. It's the most isolated town in Tomoeda," Tomoyo said. She grabbed something from a shelf, which Sakura realized was a sword of some kind. She tied it to her waist with a strand of cloth. "Do you have anything to fight with?"

"I have this," Sakura said, holding out the brush.

"That paintbrush you tried to threaten me with when you got here?"

"Hey!" Kero interjected. "It's not just any old brush. It's a magical brush!"

"Ha, do you have any idea how ridiculous you sounded just now?" Tomoyo replied. "If I didn't know better, I'd probably think you were crazy."

"It's true, though!" Kero groaned.

Sakura and Tomoyo both laughed. "Alright, well," said Tomoyo. "Let's get going, shall we?"


	8. Chapter 8

"So what's the plan?" Kero asked as they made their way back to the Penguin Park entrance.

"We get to Kodansha, we find Matsumoto-san, and we put a stop to her. After that, we send Sakura-chan home," Tomoyo replied.

"How do you know she's there? I thought she would be on that mountain, but I found you instead," said Sakura.

"Heh, that's fair. But we know she isn't there, and getting to the lab is extremely difficult since the monorail collapsed. You said you ran into her at the castle, so she won't likely be there, and Nakayoshi is too populated, so Kodansha is our next best option. The whole area is flooded by that thinner substance. Only the riverside is still inhabited, so there are plenty of places to hide out."

"If you knew where she was, why didn't you go after her before?" Kero said.

"It was never a priority. She didn't seem like a major threat."

As they reached the main road outside the park, Tomoyo took a quick look around. "How did you get this far out here, anyway?"

"We took the bus," Sakura replied.

"So we have to walk back, then?"

"Well, there aren't really any cars left," Kero said. "Fuel is pretty scarce, like everything else, so it's rationed to public transit."

"Yes, yes, I know. Well, we better get going if we want to reach Kodansha before sunset."

"Are you sure it wouldn't be quicker just to wait? I'm real tired," Sakura asked.

"Hmm… Well, we don't know when the bus would show up, and I can't really draw attention to myself. And, we probably shouldn't get separated."

Sakura looked at the ground in dejection.

"Cheer up, Sakura," Kero said. "Looks like we could get your way after all." He pointed down the road, where Meiling's bus was visible through the trees.

The bus stopped in front of them and Meiling hopped out. "Oh, goodie, you're back! I was worried that I came back too soon, but I didn't want to leave you too long." She looked at Tomoyo. "Oh, hey, Daidouji-san."

Tomoyo took a step back, eyes wide. "I- uh, I'm not…"

Meiling grinned. "I knew you were alive. Despite everything Mizuki-san said, I knew you were." Tomoyo tried to say something, but Meiling continued, "And I'm glad to see you're finally back. So, this is where you've been hiding."

"You don't understand, I'm not-"

"Not who I think you are? Then who are you? Come on. You don't have to lie to me."

"Alright, fine. Yes, I'm alive," Tomoyo ceded. "But you can't tell anyone. I'm helping Sakura-chan get home, then I'm going right back. Understood?"

Meiling thought for a moment, then said, "No."

"What?"

"Maybe Kinomoto-san doesn't have the guts to stand up to you, but I do. Whatever it is that's got you hiding all these years, you don't have deal with alone."

Tomoyo looked at her sternly. "Look, if I come back, people will expect certain things of me. Things I can't fulfill. They'll expect me to be the leader Okaasan was. To make everything better. But I can't. So it's better this way. Mizuki-san is a far better leader than I could ever be."

"You don't know that," Sakura said sympathetically.

Tomoyo pushed her long, messy hair out of her face. "I… I appreciate you believing in me. Heh, not that I expected anything else from you. Well, let's take care of what we have to first. Then we'll see."

"Haha, works for me." Meiling said. "Where are we going next, then?"

"Kodansha," Tomoyo replied.

"Actually, Main Street first," said Kero. "I should report back to Kaho, tell her where we're going next. For now, Tomoyo, I'll keep your secret."

Tomoyo nodded in appreciation.

"Alright!" Meiling said. "The team's back together! Well, minus Syaoran."

"Yeah! Team Sakura, back in action!" Kero cheered.

Meiling glanced over at him. "I never agreed on that name."


	9. Chapter 9

Sakura hopped off the bus with Kero in tow. As she prepared to make her way down Main Street to meet with Kaho, she heard Meiling call out to her. "Make it quick, okay? I need to get back to my routes as soon as possible!"

"Okay," Sakura acknowledged. Feeling a little pressure, she walked to the town hall as if running late to an important meeting. The sun was just barely visible through the gray clouds, but she could tell it was getting well past midday. As Sakura reached the small town hall building and held up her fist to knock on the door, she could hear the sound of someone sobbing. She debated whether or not she should interrupt, but her empathy and time constraints got the better of her. She knocked a couple of times on the wood door and pushed it open.

There were a couple of young women sitting at Kaho's desk. One had short, reddish-brown hair and was semi-formal in dress. She had her face buried in her hands and was crying heavily as the other woman, who had lighter brown hair in a braid and was dressed more casually, attempted to comfort her.

"Oh, uh, Sakura-san," Kaho said, with a slight look of embarrassment. "Tell me, did you find anything?"

 _You'll never believe what I found._ She wanted to tell Kaho about Tomoyo and everything else she learned on that mountain. "No, it was a dead end."

"Hmm. What a shame."

"What's going on?" Sakura asked. "Is everything alright?"

The woman with the light brown hair piped in. "I heard Terada-sensei's missed classes the past few days, and nobody knows where he went. Rika-chan's worried about him, so I brought her here so we could try to get help."

Rika wiped the tears from her eyes. "Kinomoto-sensei said… He said he was doing some field work in the jungle outside Nakayoshi. D-do you think he's hurt? Maybe he hurt his leg, and now he can't get back!"

"Now, now, Sasaki-san," Kaho said. "I'm certain wherever Terada-sensei went, he's alright. Let's try not to stress about it, and in the meantime I will see what I can do." She turned to the other woman. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Mihara-san."

Mihara nodded. "Thank you, Mizuki-san."

Without thinking, Sakura shouted, "I can help!" She felt something bump into her from inside the bag, to which she responded by sharply adjusting it.

Rika looked at her in slight astonishment. "Y-you will?"

"It's alright, Sakura-san," Kaho said. "You just focus on taking care of your own situation. I'll look into this."

"I-I can't just stand by and do nothing. Please, let me at least try to help," Sakura replied.

Rika looked up at her with a slight smile. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Kaho sighed. "Alright. I trust you. Just… don't forget you need to get back as soon as possible."

Sakura nodded. "I will do my best. I promise."

The room fell silent as Mihara helped Rika from her chair and led her to the door. As she passed Sakura, she gave her a grateful smile. She closed the door behind her. As soon the door clicked shut, Kero shot out of the bag.

"What are you doing?" he said angrily. "You can't just go running off to help every person in need."

Sakura laughed nervously. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to do nothing."

"Don't worry, Keroberos, we'll make sure that Sakura-san is able to get back home in time," said Kaho.

Kero sighed in exasperation. "The others aren't going to be happy about this…" he muttered.

"What did you say?" Kaho asked.

"Nevermind," Kero replied.

"Just have faith, okay?"

"Alright. Nakayoshi it is." He sighed.

Kaho nodded. "Good luck."

Sakura said her goodbye and, after stowing Kero back in her bag, hurried back to the bus, where Meiling and Tomoyo were waiting.

"Everything settled?" Tomoyo asked as Sakura stepped on board. "We should really get moving."

"Oh, right. About that…" Sakura said.

Tomoyo looked at her with an expression of half confusion and half annoyance. "About what?"

"I told Mizuki-san I would help her find Terada-sensei. He's gone missing."

Tomoyo hesitated for a moment, then said, "We can't. We have to get going."

"W-what do you mean, we can't?" Sakura stuttered. "I promised I would help out."

Tomoyo replied, "I need to get back as soon as possible, and you need to get home. We don't have the time. I'm sure Mizuki-san can take care of it."

"I tried to tell her…" Kero said.

"So we're just going to abandon him?" Sakura looked over at Meiling. _Please, say something._

Meiling crossed her legs and reclined in her chair. "I'm staying out of this one."

Tomoyo stood up. "Trust me, if we could go around helping everyone we meet, I would be all for it. But we don't. have. the time."

"Fine. I'll go myself," Sakura said. "Kero-chan, are you coming?"

Kero looked back and forth between the two of them. "Oh. I, uh…"

Tomoyo just placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "Kero-chan, just… go with her."

"Um… Okay," Kero said.

Tomoyo brushed past Sakura. As she made her way to the front, Sakura wanted to say something, but the words weren't there. She just watched somberly as Tomoyo stepped off the bus, without so much as a word from any of them.

Finally Meiling broke the silence. "I guess I'm taking you then?" she said to Sakura.

Sakura's gaze lingered on the door for a moment longer. She snapped herself back to reality. "Er, yeah. I guess so." She took a seat at the front of the bus and rested her head in her hand.

Meiling leaned over in her seat to look back at Sakura. "Hey, don't worry about her. She's doing everything she can."

Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. "I know. It's just, I don't understand how she can… you know, stay so focused on going after Matsumoto-san when someone needs our help."

Kero patted her on the shoulder. "Well, I think there's someone more important to her that she's trying to protect."

Sakura looked up at him in slight bewilderment. "Huh?"

Meiling laughed a little. "Seriously, never change, Kinomoto-san."


	10. Chapter 10

Sakura stared absently out of the old bus's window as it lurched through potholes and low-hanging vegetation. Whatever it was that Meiling and Kero were discussing she had tuned out however long ago. What could it matter, anyway? She knew what she needed to do. As the bus pushed past overgrown branches, Sakura noticed a rotten wooden barrier barring off a side road.

"Where's that go?" Sakura found herself asking.

Meiling sat up. "Hm? What'd you say?"

"That road," Sakura said. "Where does it go?"

"Oh. That's the way to the old lab. It got closed down after the disaster. The whole thing's a mess. I don't think you'd even be able to get out there anymore."

Kero nodded. "You wouldn't want to anyway. I heard that the island's overrun with blotlings."

"Oh. I-I see," Sakura said. She turned to Meiling. "How far is Nakayoshi from here?"

"Not too far," Meiling replied. "It's only, like, thirty minutes or so by foot from Main Street. We'd be there already if I didn't have to drive so darn slow. Still, we'll be there soon."

Sakura smiled a little. "Thank you for helping me with all this."

"No problem," Meiling said. "It's usually not very busy around this time, so I should be able to get away with driving you around a bit. We should hurry as much as possible, though. Kodansha's a bit further off from Main Street, but odds are Daidouji-san will still get there long before we do."

"That woman said something about our target doing work in the jungles outside town, right?" Kero said. "That should give us a hint as to where to look. Still, the jungle's pretty big. There's gotta be something a little less vague for us to follow. If we want to get Sakura home tonight, that is."

"Oh, yeah," Sakura muttered. _I guess I got a little wrapped up in all this. I wonder how Syaoran's doing._

"He's a teacher… The guy we're looking for, right?" Meiling asked. "Maybe ask around the school? That's in Nakayoshi, at least, so it won't take too long to get there."

"Or perhaps we should find that woman again," Kero added. "She might know something that could help."

Sakura said, "I don't think she could have gotten here before us." She remembered something that her father had said at the ice cream parlor, about visiting him in Nakayoshi. "Let's go to the school first."

"Mmkay," Meiling said. "I'll drop you off nearby. After that, it's all you. I'm going to intercept Daidouji-san and see if I can't convince her to hold off on going to Kodansha until you get back. Alright?"

"Alright. It's a plan!" Kero said.

The bus emerged from the woods shortly after, passing under a wooden arch. They passed by wooden houses with thatch roofing as pedestrians went about their business, very few paying any sort of attention to them. Sakura glanced at each passerby, but none stood out to her as even vaguely familiar. Like Main Street, Nakayoshi was surrounded by a tall fence, although this one had likely never been painted. It was far larger, though, jutting up to the height of some trees. Multitudes of houses and shops were littered across the landscape, woven together by a series of wide dirt roads. Ahead, Sakura could see a large building which, unlike the surrounding neighborhood, was made of reddish-orange bricks and a shingled roof.

"That's the school. I'll drop you off out front, then it's up to you to find some clues," Meiling said. "This feels kinda cool, actually. Like we're detectives or something!"

"Don't get too excited," Kero scolded. "Remember that someone's actually missing."

Meiling chuckled nervously. "Oh, right. Sorry."

"There's only one school here?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, well, there aren't quite that many kids living around here," Meiling said. "I guess at least few enough to pack all of them into one building."

The bus screeched to a halt, and Sakura stowed Kero away once more. Meiling wished her luck as she disembarked. She took a step back and watched the bus putter back the way they came, then hurried inside. The light of the gas lamps that hung from the ceiling flickered as Sakura shut the door behind her.

"Don't they have electricity here?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, but we tend to conserve," Kero whispered. "Only use it for what's necessary."

A tall dark-haired woman in a violet suit-dress approached Sakura. "Good afternoon," the woman said. "Are you looking for something?"

"Um, yeah," Sakura said. "I'm looking for my father. Is he here?"

"Your name?" the woman asked.

"Kinomoto."

The woman laughed. "Oh, yes, Kinomoto! I'm surprised I didn't recognize you before. Yes, your father is here. His classroom is on the second floor, I believe. The teacher's name should be by the door, so it should not be too difficult to find."

"Thank you," said Sakura.

"Don't mention it." The woman took a few steps down the hall, but paused and turned to Sakura. "By the way, Syaoran wouldn't happen to be here as well, would he?"

"Um, no. Why?" Sakura gasped. "Oh, yeah. You're Syaoran's mother, right? Sorry I didn't recognize you."

The woman shook her head. "It's fine. I suppose I didn't make much of an effort to see you very often. I… kind of regret that now. How is everything? Between you and Syaoran, that is. Finally tie the knot?"

"Yes, about a year and a half ago. He's busy a lot, though. I just want to get home before he worries about me."

"Ah, I see. I would have like to have been there. Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. Tell him I said hello if you get the chance, okay?"

Sakura nodded. "I will. But, Li-san…"

"You may call me Yelan-san if you like. I hope you didn't feel like I was trying to remain distant from you. There was just… a lot on my mind." Her voice was slightly distressed.

"Um, you know about Clow-san and everything, right? Do you know where we are?"

Yelan closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Not really. I am sure that it's a magical world, but I suppose that's obvious. Other than that, I don't know. I wish I could be of more help."

"It's alright. I just wanted to ask. Are you a teacher here, Yelan-san?" Sakura asked.

"Not really. I just tend to the library. My life here isn't quite what it was in Hong Kong. Back then, I only had to worry about studying my art. Not that that helped me much here, though. It's been a lot of work, but I suppose it's not so bad. I've learned a few things from the experience, and nothing's really happened here since that whole mess eight years ago, so it's been pretty calm. And the girls have moved out, as well, so- I'm sorry, am I rambling? I know you were in a hurry."

"Please don't apologize," Sakura said. "I'm very happy to have run into you. I promise I'll let Syaoran know you're doing well. So please, don't feel bad, okay?"

Yelan smiled. "Thank you, Kinomoto-san. You're very kind. Well, I won't keep you." With that, she bowed and left.

Sakura hurried upstairs and started scanning the nameplates for her father's name. After passing by several rooms, she came across one labeled "Kinomoto." She knocked on the door.

"Yes? Come in," she heard her father say. She opened the door and stepped inside. The class was quite small, barely more than ten or twenty students. They were teenaged, most likely high schoolers. Fujitaka taught at a university in Tomoeda, but did they even have a university in this town? Her father was standing at the front of the room.

"Sakura-san, hello," said Fujitaka. "Um, can this wait until after class ends?"

Sakura glanced at the students, who were all staring back at her. "Sorry to interrupt, Otousan. But it's urgent."

Fujitaka nodded. "Alright, everyone," he said to the class. "Take a quick break." Then he led Sakura back out into the hall. "Did you need something, Sakura-san?" he asked. "Or are you just leaving soon?"

"Do you know Terada-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"Um, yeah. He teaches downstairs. Come to think of it, he hasn't been here the past few days. Is that what this is about?"

"Yes. I promised someone I'd help look for him."

"Oh. I see." Fujitaka crossed his arms and stared pensively at nothing in particular.

"Is that wrong?" Sakura asked nervously.

Fujitaka shook his head. "No. It's just… I'm worried about you going out there."

"Out where?"

"If you go through the jungle just past here, you'll eventually end up at the coastline. That's where Terada-sensei was working on something or other. Never really brought up the specifics. I considered checking on him myself, but I guess I don't have the nerve. I just don't want you going out there unprepared."

"Why?"

Fujitaka sighed. "Those monsters are everywhere out there. You could get hurt."

"Oh, yeah…"

"I should get going back to class now. I won't tell you to forsake someone in need, but if you do go looking, try not to stray too far from the path, and please be careful. Alright?"

"I will," said Sakura. "Thanks, Otousan!"

Fujitaka smiled. "What did I do to deserve such a brave and kind daughter?" With that, he stepped back into the classroom.

"Hmm," Kero muttered, poking his head out of the bag. "Skull Rock."

"S-Skull?" Sakura asked.

"It was a popular vacation spot before the disaster," Kero explained. "With the sea being toxic and blotlings on the loose, no one goes there anymore. Still, why would our missing teacher be interested in that place?"

"I don't know, but at least we know just where to look. Come on, let's go."


	11. Chapter 11

Under Kero's direction, Sakura made her way to a side road on the edge of town. A large tree stood on either side of the road as it meandered out of town, serving as the gateposts for the fence that encompassed the area. The space between the trees was boarded up with a few planks haphazardly nailed to the trunk of either tree, but there was a gap in the boards large enough for Sakura to fit through.

"There are a lot of places we aren't supposed to be going, aren't there?" Sakura said as she dusted herself off after crawling under the barricade.

"Kaho's been doing her best to keep everyone safe since the disaster," said Kero. "We had groups of volunteers drive the blotlings off the main roads and build barriers around the towns, but everything else has been closed off. We were lucky enough to avoid seeing any since we got out of that park, but I doubt we'll make it to Skull Rock without seeing at least one."

"Oh… What do we do if that happens?"

Out of view of Nakayoshi, Kero fluttered out of the bag. "For the time being, just run past them. They're slow enough that as long as you don't get yourself surrounded again, you shouldn't have too much of a problem."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. "You mean we don't have to fight them?"

"Not unless we get surrounded again."

"Thank goodness."

Kero glanced at Sakura as she walked along what was left of the abandoned road. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Sakura, remember that you will have to fight eventually."

"I know," said Sakura. "It's just, I don't want to hurt anyone. Isn't there some other way to help everybody?"

"Even if you manage to talk some sense into that Matsumoto lady, there's still The Blot to deal with. I wouldn't bet on being able to convince it to turn over a new leaf."

"It-it's still worth a shot, though, right?" Sakura replied.

Kero just chuckled. "Well, let's just see how that goes. Just don't let your guard down, okay?"

"I won't!" Sakura whined. Suddenly, she heard a sloshing sound coming from behind them. She spun around quickly, but saw nothing but the road behind them. There was not so much as a hint as to how far from Nakayoshi they had already wandered.

"I don't like the sound of that," Kero said. "We should get moving."

"Y-yeah." Sakura began to pick up the pace. So, too, did the sounds of rustling leaves and slime. Letting out a small scream, Sakura broke into a full sprint.

"Hey, wait up, Sakura!" Kero yelled, before taking off after her.

Inky creatures like the ones that cornered Sakura at the abandoned park began slithering out of the woods behind them. Sakura looked back as the blotlings emerged slowly from the bushes, dripping green ooze as they tracked her and Kero.

"Look out!" Sakura heard Kero shout. As she turned her attention back ahead of her, she noticed a couple of blotlings appearing from the jungle a few yards ahead. She gasped, losing control of her momentum as she fell face first in the dirt and leaves. More blotlings were approaching from all directions.

"Ow," she said as she got to her feet.

"How did they surround us so quickly?" Kero complained. "These things must be smarter than I thought. It's an ambush!"

Sakura scanned the crowd as they closed in around her.

"Come on, Sakura, you gotta fight. There's no other way," said Kero.

Sakura tuned him out and took a deep breath. She charged between the two blocking the path ahead, but one caught her leg with its slimy arm. She yelped in pain. Even mere contact with the monster's liquid body burned fiercely. It tightened its grip as she struggled to break free.

"Let go, you creep!" shouted Kero. In a flash of brilliant light, he transformed into a large lion-like animal. Unable to strike it directly, he targeted the blotling with a fiery breath. Its grip loosened, and Sakura finally managed to escape, stumbling a little as it let go. "Run!"

Sakura obliged unquestioningly, fleeing as quickly as she could despite the continued stinging sensation just above her ankle. More blotlings began to appear from the jungle as they ran, but eventually they managed to make it into the clear. As soon as they had well enough lost their pursuers, Sakura collapsed to the ground and rolled over, examining the still-stinging spot on her leg. The blotling's touch left a bright red mark. She curled up on the ground and began to sob. "I hate this! I just want to go home!"

Kero sat down beside her, still in his lion-like form. "We don't have to keep going, you know. If you want to turn back, I understand."

Sakura looked up at him. "But… What about Terada-sensei?"

Kero sighed. "I know, I know. But I don't want to see you get hurt. Are you sure you don't want to turn back?"

"We can't go back that way," Sakura muttered. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she slowly stood up and steadied herself on a nearby tree. "We… We have to keep moving." She took a couple of steps, then collapsed again.

"Are you sure you can walk?" Kero asked.

"Yeah," Sakura said. "It just hurts a little, is all." She righted herself again and began limping towards their objective, wincing each time she applied pressure to her injured foot.

"I dunno, you look like you can barely move. Perhaps we should rest until you recover?"

Sakura directed her best reassuring smile at him. "Don't worry about me, okay? We've come pretty far. We've gotta be getting close."

"Fine," Kero groaned. He walked alongside her, allowing her to occasionally lean on him to steady herself.


	12. Chapter 12

The familiar, acrid smell of the thinner sea hung in the air as Sakura and Kero reached the end of the path. The dirt road and dense plant life gave way to sandy beaches and bubbling green goo that stretched into the horizon. There was a somewhat rhythmic clinking sound coming from beyond the jungle, somewhere nearby along the shore. Sakura and Kero peered through the vegetation, surveying the beach for the origin of the sound.

There was a mass of rocks on the beach, in the center of which was a large formation vaguely resembling a human skull. Figures moved about the rocks, chipping away at the stone with pickaxes and trudging through the toxic sea as if it were normal water. On more careful inspection, Sakura noticed that the figures were plated in rusty metal. They wore featureless masks with a single slit to indicate their eyes, and wiring was visible between the plating near their joints. While most of them were working, a few stood watch. There were about twenty or so of these mechanical workers on the beach.

"Woah, robots? Did you know about all this?" Sakura asked as she leaned against a tree, rubbing her shin. The burn on her leg still felt a bit fuzzy, but she was at least able to walk a little bit better.

"No," said Kero. After Sakura had become able to walk on her own, Kero reverted to his smaller form. "Whatever's going on here, Kaho and I weren't aware of it."

"Do you think it's connected to Matsumoto-san?"

"Almost definitely. This is what our teacher must have been so interested in. Do you think he's somewhere around here?"

"I don't know," said Sakura. "I wonder how he could have gotten out here with all those monsters back there."

"Is that so?" Kero said. "In that case, do you want to turn back?"

"What if we run into the blotlings that attacked us on the way here?" Sakura asked. "Besides, shouldn't we look around a bit more? Since we came all the way out here and everything."

"Yeah…" replied Kero. "This place is definitely worth looking into."

"What do you think they're keeping in that shed?"

"My guess is whatever it is that they're mining out of Skull Rock."

"Why, though? What could they need all this stone for?" Sakura stood up straight. "Do you think we'd be able to get inside the shed?"

"Not likely. We'd absolutely be noticed."

"Right. Well, what if…" Sakura said.

"If what?" Kero asked.

"If we did get caught, they'd probably take us to wherever they took Terada-sensei, right? Or at least I'll get to look at what they're keeping in that shed."

"E-excuse me? We don't know they even did catch him!" Kero argued.

Sakura sighed. "I made a promise, though. I can't give up already. Besides, it's worth a shot."

"You and Tomoyo are still just as much a handful as you were back then." Kero groaned.

Sakura glared at him. "At least I'm trying!"

"So what's your plan for after we get caught? How do we get out then?"

"I'm not saying we both have to get caught, I'll do it myself. I'm counting on you to help me escape."

"Besides, I'm worried he might actually be involved in this."

"N-no way," said Sakura. "Let's just do it. I'm not leaving emptyhanded."

"I have a really bad feeling about this…" Kero complained.

"Hey, it's not the first time we walked into danger today. Well, here goes nothing," Sakura said with a nod. She gave herself a moment to mentally prepare, then stepped out onto the beach. The sentries immediately took notice. Two approached her, although the one by the shed kept to its post.

"Excuse me," Sakura said innocently. "I'm a bit lost. Can you tell me where I am?"

One of the robotic sentries motioned for her to follow. Sakura obeyed, and as hoped, the sentries led her to the storage shed. The guard by the door moved out of the way to allow Sakura and her captors to pass. The air inside was even mustier than it was outside, with a single dusty window to light up the room. The walls were lined with stacks of wooded crates filled with rock mined from the beach's rock formations. A few other pieces of old furniture were piled up carelessly in a corner. What caught Sakura's attention, though, was the man tied to a chair in the back. He glanced somberly at her, head hung, as one of the sentries grabbed another chair from the pile and secured her to it. She realized she had forgotten to stay in character, but the sentries didn't seem to notice, and soon left, slamming the door behind them.


	13. Chapter 13

A while passed in silence as Sakura waited for the man to speak. Eventually, she decided to strike up a conversation herself. "You're Terada-sensei, right?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah," he muttered.

"I was, uh, looking for you."

Terada chuckled. "You're certainly braver than most to come all the way out here. Looks like we're both stuck here now, though. Guess bravery really is just another word for stupidity."

"Don't say that!" Sakura said. "We'll get out of here, just wait."

"For what, exactly?"

"My… friend. He's out there right now, he's gonna help us break out of here."

"Hm," sighed Terada.

"Er…." Sakura quickly backtracked. "Do you know what's going on here?"

"I don't know. I came out here a while back to do so research at Skull Rock. I came across these mechanical workers, but I figured, someone's got to be in charge of all this. I staked the place out for a while, but I didn't see anything but robots. They must take the jungle to bypass Nakayoshi, but wherever they're taking this stuff, I got spotted before I could figure it out."

"I know who it is," Sakura interrupted. "The person who's in charge, that is."

"Really?" Terada asked, suddenly seeming to take interest. "Who?"

"It's a woman named Matsumoto," Sakura explained. "I don't know why-"

"Wait, she's alive? I though she died alongside Queen Daidouji during the initial disaster."

"You know her?"

"Well, of her," Terada said. "It came as quite a surprise to everyone when Daidouji-san chose her to head the research lab. As far as I know, she had no prior experience in such a field, but then again, not a lot of other people here do, either. Maybe Daidouji-san took what she could get, maybe she knew this woman before we all wound up here. Anyway, when that monster everyone calls The Blot appeared, they set a trap for it at the mountain just past Penguin Park. It seemed like they succeeded, but neither of them ever returned. After a while, everyone just kind of gave up on waiting."

Sakura pondered what Terada had said for a moment. Why would Matsumoto help The Blot after she and Sonomi tried to stop it? Was she trying to save her own skin? Did she see an opportunity in it for herself? Or was it all part of some greater plan? The more she learned, the less it seemed she knew. _Well, I guess I'll know soon enough_ , she thought. The idea of confronting Matsumoto was frightening, but she took comfort in knowing that when it was over she could at least go home.

"What about you?" Terada asked. "Why would you risk your life all the way out here looking for me?"

"I dunno, I just… I want to help people," Sakura said.

"How noble of you. Still, how did you know where to find me?"

"Well," Sakura explained. "It was Rika-san that asked me to find you."

"I see."

"Oh, and, uh… My father told me you were doing some field work or something out here. So that's where I went."

"Your father being?" Terada asked.

"Um, Kinomoto Fujitaka-san," Sakura said.

"Oh, so you're Fujitaka-san's daughter. He's mentioned you quite a few times, Kinomoto-san. You were in my homeroom a while back, right?"

Sakura tried to recall. "Yeah, I think so."

"I thought the name was familiar." Terada was interrupted by a loud crash.

"That must be Kero-chan!" Sakura cheered.

"Kero?" said Terada. "That's an unusual name."

Sakura laughed nervously. "It's, uh…"

The door slammed open as one of the mechanical sentries came toppling through it. "Kinomoto-san!" shouted a familiar but unexpected voice.

"Meiling-chan?" Sakura called out.

Meiling rushed in brandishing a lug wrench, while Kero followed close behind. She tossed it to the side and hurried to untie Sakura from the chair. "Man, those things were tough. I should practice more."

"What a strange creature," Terada said, staring at Kero.

"Oops," Kero muttered. "Forgot about that guy."

The newly freed Sakura stood up and stretched her arms. "Thanks, that was really uncomfortable. How did you know where to find me?"

"I asked around at the school, where I dropped you off before. Your dad told me what he said to you, so I came as fast as I could," Meiling said as she untied Terada.

"Oh, I see. What about Tomoyo-chan?" Sakura asked.

Meiling sighed. "That's what I needed to tell you. She's gone to face that woman alone. I tried to stop her, but… Well, you know."

"Are these native to this place?" Terada asked, still intrigued by Kero.

"Sir, Kinomoto-san and I have somewhere we need to be," Meiling said. "I'll drop you off in Nakayoshi. That's all the time we have."

Terada nodded. "Thank you both for rescuing me."

Kero took the opportunity to hide in Sakura's bag as Meiling urged everyone outside, where her bus was left waiting on the beach. It was in much worse condition than Sakura had last seen it. The grill and sides were badly dented, the side mirrors were missing, and the windshield, headlights, and several windows were shattered.

"How'd you get out here in that?" Sakura said.

"I took the main road," Meiling explained. "The bus, uh, kinda fit between the trees. All I had to do was get through the barricade. Good thing this thing belongs to the city."

It took a few moments for the bus to gain traction on the sand, but soon enough Meiling had the bus underway back down the road they came.

"So, is this creature the 'friend' you mentioned before?" Terada asked.

Sakura stuttered, "Y-yeah."

"What is it?"

"He's a guardian of some sort. I found him with a book left by a sorcerer named Clow Reed."

"Amazing!" said Terada enthusiastically. "So he is a magical being? How long have you known about this?"

"About fourteen years, I guess."

Kero whispered from the bag, "You don't have to tell him everything!"

Terada laughed. "That long? Well, he's quite an interesting creature."

"You won't tell anyone about this, will you?" Sakura asked.

"Of course not. You saved my life. Your secret is safe with me."

Meiling shouted back to them, "Hang on, everyone. This might be a bit rough." Sakura glanced out the front window to see the gate to Nakayoshi from the beach. The wooden planks had been shattered and a significant amount of bark had been scratched off of the trees. Sakura braced herself for impact. The whole bus lurched as it plowed through the opening in the trees, forcing its way through.

Meiling slowed the bus to a stop. "Man, that was way easier the second time. Alright, here we are. Nakayoshi, anyone?"

Terada stood up. "Thank you again for all of your help. I shall leave the rest to you. But if you truly mean to confront Matsumoto-san, be careful. That is your goal, right?"

"Yes," Sakura admitted.

Terada stepped of the bus and waved goodbye. Sakura waved back as the bus set into motion once more.

"Next stop," Meiling called. "Kodansha."


	14. Chapter 14

"Hey, uh, why are we stopping here?" Kero asked, looking out into the boggy terrain.

Meiling turned in her chair to face the others. "End of the road. We're not too far out now, but I can't cross the boardwalk in this hunk of metal on a good day, let alone now."

"Alright. Thank you," Sakura said. She gave a quick bow, motioned for Kero to return to the bag, and made her way to the door. From there, she could see the boardwalk across the Thinner-flooded road ahead. _I hope it's safe,_ she thought.

Meiling smiled. "No worries. So, you sure you're ready?"

With a deep breath, Sakura replied, "I, uh… Yes." Carefully avoiding the broken glass on the floor, she disembarked once again.

Meiling leaped off behind her. "I'm coming too this time."

"Are you sure?" Sakura said. "It might be dangerous."

"Exactly. Who else is gonna be there to protect you?"

"I am!" Kero proclaimed.

"Right," Meiling said sarcastically. Regardless, there was no further argument.

Despite its appearance, the boardwalk was surprisingly sturdy. Being the main road to Kodansha, it was apparently kept in good shape. However, Thinner flooded parts of the road and much of the surrounding area. Seeing it on either side of the wooden walkways was unsettling, and Sakura walked as close to the center of the path as possible. Meiling, however, appeared confident, and Sakura attempted to emulate that confidence. It was to no avail, however, as she found herself shivering nervously.

The three made it to Kodansha without incident. It was a small town, smaller than the Main Street area and far smaller than Nakayoshi. It was comprised of a handful of buildings along a cobblestone street in the middle of the swamp. The bow of an old steamship was raised out of the water nearby. A few wooden shacks were built on nearby islands with other boardwalks connecting them to the main hub, and a gate barred off a path that led further into the swamp.

"That's the way to go," Meiling said as the approached the iron bars of the gate. "The old manor is up ahead, just down the road."

"Speaking of which," said a voice behind them. He could not finish his sentence before Sakura yelped in surprise. She spun around to see a man standing behind them. He appeared completely unfazed by her reaction. "Did you know that that old manor was haunted? They say that the ghost of a long-dead sorceress resides there, trapping anyone who trespasses inside of her books."

"W-what?" Sakura whimpered.

"Ugh. Yamazaki-san, now's not the time for your stupid lies," Meiling scoffed.

"Hey, I'm telling the truth this time! I've seen her," Yamazaki said. "Walking up the road to the old manor."

Meiling just shook her head. "And how do you know that wasn't just some girl?"

"Well, I've never seen anyone like that around here before. She looked like a ghost, with pale skin and raggedy clothing."

"Wait," Sakura said. "When did you see her?"

"Huh? Well, not too long ago, actually. Maybe about ten minutes or so? Hm, I didn't know ghosts came out during the day…" said Yamazaki.

"Well, thank you for your valuable information. Bye-bye now," Meiling said quickly, shooing him. As soon as she drove him off, she turned to Sakura. "Don't worry about all that. You know he's just a big old liar."

"Oh, I see. Ha, I guess there are some people who never change. Do you think he was telling the truth, though? About seeing that girl?" Sakura asked.

"You're right. It must have been Daidouji-san. Come on, let's hurry." Meiling hopped onto the iron gate and began climbing over. Once she reached the top, she called out, "You coming?"

"I, uh… I don't think I can climb that," Sakura said.

"Here." Meiling leaned down and offered Sakura a hand, before pulling her up to the top of the gate.

"Now how do we get down?" Sakura asked as she regained her balance.

"Down is easy. Gravity does most of the work," Meiling said. She heaved herself off the gate and landed on her hands and knees on the cobblestone road on the other side of the fence. "Oof," she said, rubbing her knees as she sat upright. "Okay, maybe not."

Rather than Meiling's reckless leap, Sakura carefully lowered herself down safely before dropping the last couple feet. "You alright?" Sakura asked, helping Meiling to her feet.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure you should come?" Sakura asked. "I really don't want you to get hurt because of me."

"Heh, that one was my fault." Meiling brushed herself off. "Besides, I'm okay."

"We're getting so close," Kero said, poking his head out. "I just know we'll find her here."

"That's what you said last time," Sakura retorted.

"Well, we found someone, didn't we?" said Kero.

"Alright, alright. Let's just get going, shall we?" Meiling interrupted. She led the way up the road to the old manor, and Sakura followed close behind.


	15. Chapter 15

"This is… spooky," Meiling said as she glanced to either side of the cobblestone path.

Sakura shuddered. "Yeah." She was half-expecting something to jump out of the swamp at any moment and attack, like in Nakayoshi. "Spooky."

Meiling gave her a sympathetic look. "I know you're worried, but remember, you're not in this alone. Keroberos-san and I will be right by your side."

Kero floated out of the bag. "Keroberos-san?"

"Oh, sorry. Is that not okay?" Meiling asked.

"Um, no," said Kero. "It's just the first time I've heard you call me by name."

"Well, we're not rivals anymore," said Meiling. "As much as I enjoy messing with you, we're kind of a team now."

"Very well then. Can I call you Meiling, then?"

"Oh, uh… Okay."

"Aww," Sakura teased. "You two are finally getting along!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kero said. "Don't make a big deal out of it."

"Anyhow," Meiling continued. "We're here." She pointed up the road to a large structure in the middle of the swamp. The manor was a wide two-story building with a high roof. The exterior paint was dulled and peeling, several windows were broken or cracked, and sections of the walls were boarded up where the wall was damaged. The front door was left wide open, but there wasn't a sign of anyone around. The air was still and quiet.

"I don't feel too good about this…" said Sakura.

Meiling led the way inside. The interior was as dismal as the exterior. A large chandelier hung over the dusty foyer, and a large staircase at the back divided the hall. Doors branched off further into the manor, some of which were falling off their hinges. There was a layer of dust over the wooden floor, but not enough to make out anything such as footprints.

"Someone really lives here?" said Sakura. The place was a wreck. While it was understandable for one person to not have kept such a large home clean, its current state was just… neglectful.

"Let's take a look around," Meiling suggested, speaking in a hushed voice.

"We might find that lady faster if we split up," said Kero.

"No," Meiling said. "We shouldn't divide ourselves up like that. We'll need to be at full strength when we confront her."

With each step the floorboards creaked. Sakura tried stepping as lightly as she could, but it changed nothing. The three began by scouring the lower floor first. They found a kitchen whose sink was piled with dishes, a dining room with its table broken in half, a bedroom with an unmade queen-sized bed… All of which were empty.

"Man, I hate how quiet it is," Meiling said.

"You're right," said Kero. "Either we've truly hit another dead end, or she knows we're here."

"Let's not jump to conclusions. Come on, let's check upstairs." Meiling signaled for the others to follow. Just in case, though, Sakura grabbed the brush from her jacket. They returned to the main foyer and headed up to the second floor.

Upstairs, they could hear a faint sound coming from further into the mansion. A low hum of machinery. Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. It brought back memories of the amusement park castle's dungeon. She could hear Matsumoto's voice. _Nothing much, just your heart._

"Hey, Sakura. You okay?" Kero said.

The dreadful screech of the saw filled her mind. She fell against the wall, clutching her head. "N-no…"

"Kinomoto-san, what's wrong?" called Meiling.

Sakura remembered the faceless anguish of the two Blotlings as they were destroyed by her hand, and the swarm that burned her when she tried to run away. She saw herself, wielding that same brush with which she murdered those creatures against Matsumoto.

Meiling grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Hey, can you hear me? It's okay, I'm here."

There was a room. Familiar, yet foreign, like something out of a forgotten dream. Some strange fluid spilling from the table onto the stone floor, her heart wracked with fear and guilt. But for what, she asked herself. Was it something she had done? Or something she was destined to do?

"No!" Pushing Meiling away, Sakura hurled the brush across the hall, where it clacked across the floor.

After recuperating from the shock, Meiling sat up and awkwardly embraced Sakura, patting her on the back of the head. She motioned for Kero to retrieve the discarded brush. "Kinomoto-san?"

Sakura groaned in acknowledgement.

"You feeling okay?"

Sakura glanced off to the side. "Is there any other way to end this? Am I… Am I going to have to kill her?"

Meiling was taken aback. "What?"

"I wanted to believe that I could change Matsumoto-san's mind, make her stop just by… I don't know, talking to her? But, she tried to kill me before. Would she really listen? I never wanted to use that brush again, but last time I tried to avoid using it I got hurt."

Kero handed over the brush to Meiling, who placed it into Sakura's hands. "I know you'll do the right thing," she said. "You'll figure it out. You were always good at that."

"Oh, hey. You're here," came a voice. They turned to see Tomoyo standing at the end of the hall. "Come with me."

"Don't worry," Kero said as Meiling helped Sakura to her feet. "We'll be alright. Alright?"

"Yeah…" Sakura replied halfheartedly. Meiling and Kero exchanged mournful looks. Still, Sakura followed them, still clinging to the brush, as Tomoyo led the way. There was not another word from anyone. Tomoyo moved quickly, with a determined look on her face. Kero fluttered behind Sakura as Meiling escorted her by the arm, occasionally looking back to check up on her.

Tomoyo stopped under a ladder leading further up, to the attic. She reached for the sword tied to her waist. Meiling caught her.

"Let's see what we're up against first," Meiling said.

Hesitantly, Tomoyo agreed. She went first up the ladder. Meiling nodded to Sakura, then followed suit.

"I guess this is it," Sakura said to Kero. She grabbed hold of the ladder and began climbing.

"Yeah," Kero muttered. "I guess it is."


	16. Chapter 16

The attic was larger than Sakura had expected it to be. It was all one room, spread out across the entire manor. It had a high ceiling, with wires and machinery lining the walls. Unorganized piles of scrap were dumped against the sides of the room, filled with various mechanical components. Heavy lights hung from the rafters, with their wiring wrapped around the beams.

They at last were face to face with Maki Matsumoto. She was knelt down beside a large metal sphere sitting in the middle of the room, tinkering with the hardware inside. It did not take long before she caught on to their presence. She shot up, nearly stumbling backwards.

"What… what are you doing here?" Maki shouted.

Meiling took a step forward. "We're going to make sure you never hurt anyone ever again!"

Maki scowled. "Hmph. If it's a fight you want, I won't back down." She stepped back to a podium on a raised platform at the far end of the attic. On it was a keyboard and monitor. "But first, hear me out."

"Do you honestly believe anything you have to say will convince us to turn a blind eye to all this?" said Tomoyo.

"Perhaps not, but…" Maki said. She turned away. "Fine."

"Come on, let's end this," Meiling said. She took off across the room.

"S-stay back!" Maki shouted. She quickly entered a command into the console.

"Meiling, be careful!" shouted Kero. He and Tomoyo chased after her as the machinery roared to life.

A door opened up in one of the machines lining the wall, from which a sentry appeared. The sentry was similar in design to the ones on the beach, but unlike them, however, this one had a sharp blade instead of a mining tool attached to its right arm. Another followed, from the opposite side of the room. The two sentries immediately moved to block Meiling's path. The doors closed behind them, before spawning another pair of sentries moments later.

Meiling met them head-on. One wound up and took a swing at her, but she caught its arm below the blade and, taking advantage of its momentum, thrust it to the ground. Its partner struck next, and Meiling evaded the attack. When she caught its blade arm, however, it seized her by the neck with the other hand and tossed her back. She landed hard on her side and tumbled a couple of feet across the floor.

"You don't need to do this," Maki said. "Just give it up."

Tomoyo knelt down beside Meiling. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Meiling coughed. "Y-yeah."

Tomoyo nodded. "Stay back. I'll deal with them." She drew her sword and prepared herself as the sentries advanced. "We won't give in that easily!" she called out.

"Ngh," Maki groaned. "So be it."

Kero transformed to his lion-like form. "Can I be of any help?"

"Make sure those things don't get near Sakura-chan," said Tomoyo.

Sakura watched in awe from the sidelines as Tomoyo struck down sentry after sentry. She handled the sword with impressive skill as the sentries threw their full might at her. Despite their numbers, their sluggish movement served as a disadvantage. Yet every sentry Tomoyo destroyed was replaced by the seemingly infinite supply being churned out by the generators. "There's no end to them," Sakura muttered. _We have to destroy those machines,_ she thought. She hurried to Meiling's side and helped her up.

"Thanks," Meiling said hoarsely. "Man, Daidouji-san can really fight."

"Yeah, but… for how long?" Sakura said. She gathered Kero and Meiling together. In a hushed voice, she pleaded, "We need to stop those machines before Tomoyo-chan gets overrun!"

"How?" Kero said.

Meiling grabbed a bladed arm from one of the wrecked sentries. "I can try destroying that control panel. That might shut them down."

"Or send them spiraling out of control." Kero countered. "We should stop the things directly if we want to make sure those robots stay down for good."

Maki glanced over at the three huddled together. "What are you up to?" she muttered. She input another command into the keyboard, and a faction of sentries broke off towards Sakura's group.

Kero was the first to catch on. "We got company!" He urged Sakura back as Meiling prepared to hold them off.

"Alright, Meiling," said Meiling to herself. "You can do this. Just do whatever Daidouji-san's doing, right? Easy." She swung at one of the incoming sentries with the salvaged weapon. The sentry defended itself, causing her attack to rebound. She stumbled a little, but was immediately back on the offensive.

Though Meiling quickly adapted her technique, Tomoyo was showing signs of fatigue. Panting, she fell back a few steps and brushed the hair from her face. Kero took notice and rushed in, unleashing his fiery breath attack. All it managed to do was slow them down for a moment. His attack had no effect on the automated soldiers, and they soon advanced once more.

There was nothing Sakura could do. She felt useless. Worse, she felt like a hindrance. Her friends were putting their lives on the line to save her, while she stood spectating in the back. Any expectation of victory was quickly dwindling as Maki's army whittled away at their strength.

Sakura held the brush up and examined it. Despite its power, its appearance was rather normal. It looked like a plain brush with a wooden handle, albeit a cartoonishly large one. And yet, it was truly a weapon capable of striking fear into the heart of this tiny world's greatest threat. Sakura closed her eyes and focused. _Perhaps with this… No._ She shook the thought from her head. Never again, especially not on another human being. It seemed like there was no other option. Give herself up and give Maki what she wanted… or end her. Sakura squeezed her eyelids tighter. _There's got to be another way._

She remembered the generators producing the robotic army. Maybe she couldn't use the brush on anything living, but there was no problem with using it on machinery. With the sentries preoccupied with subduing the others, Sakura snuck along the side of the room, concealing the strange weapon by her side. As soon as she was near enough to the dispenser hatch, she held it out and swung. Only this time, nothing happened, aside from drawing attention to herself. A few nearby sentries began advancing toward her.

"Come on, work!" Sakura grumbled. The last time she got the brush to work, she didn't even have to think about it. She tried to remember the thoughts going through her head then. Fear was obvious. The blotlings she saw there were aggressive and unfamiliar. But fear was something she felt even now. Something else. Hate, maybe? Hate for being pulled into an unfamiliar place, her life on the line. _I hate you_ , Sakura thought. _I hate you and I wish you would disappear_. Running these thoughts through her mind, Sakura began swinging the brush violently as the sentries closed in. This time, she succeeded in getting the brush to do what she needed. Green liquid spurted from the tip, spraying the generator. It ran down the side, singeing the floorboards but leaving the equipment unscathed.

"What?" Sakura gasped. "No, no, no!"

Maki raised an eyebrow. "So that's how that works… Fascinating."

Sakura growled in frustration. _It was worth a shot_ , she thought. She looked at the blackened floor beneath the generator. Evidently, the Thinner from the brush was more potent than the resting pools of it around Tomoeda.

Sakura dove out of the way as an approaching sentry attempted to grab her. She sprayed it with the brush, but like the generator, it was unaffected. The Thinner dripped off the sentry's armor and sizzled on the floor, leaving behind a stench reminiscent of the Christmas turkey she burnt a few years back.

It felt like Sakura could never escape her problems. Every time she got comfortable, a new, more dangerous threat seemed to pop up. She wished to be back where her biggest problems were a burnt holiday dinner. She was so embarrassed that day, she must have apologized a dozen times. But Syaoran did not get mad, or even blame her for it. Instead he consoled her and ordered takeout for the two of them.

But so what if she could go back? No amount of comfort could distract her from the plight of these people. Old friends, even family, that had fallen out of her life, all stuck in a miserable wasteland. Sakura reminded herself of why she had stayed in the first place, to play her part in rescuing this world from disaster.

She looked at the smoldering black stains on the floorboards. There was still one way she could bring down Maki's equipment without taking her life. Repeating the same things she did before, Sakura attacked the generators one more time, but this time she focused her fire on the floor at the base of the machine. The weakened floor groaned under its weight as the Thinner ate away at the wood, until it finally gave. The boards snapped, sending the equipment toppling to the floor below.

"Huh?" Maki gasped.

"Ha! Nice one, Kinomoto-san!" cheered Meiling. "Take care of the other one, and we're done!"

"S-stop!" Maki begged. "You're going to ruin everything!"

Meiling and Tomoyo pushed the sentries back as Sakura made her way to the other machine. Carefully navigating the wreckage of fallen sentries, she attacked the base of the other generator. It came down as well, leaving another massive hole in the floor. With that, all that was left was to clean up the remaining soldiers.

The deed done, Sakura approached Maki as the others caught their breath. Maki was leaning on the podium, head buried in her arms.

"It's over," Sakura said to her, as gently as possible. "You can't use these things to hurt anyone anymore." Maki did not answer, so Sakura continued. "Why did you go to all this trouble?"

Maki stood, still slouching a little. "I… I wouldn't expect you to understand."

Sakura shrugged. "Tell me anyway."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" said Maki.

With a smile, Sakura said, "I believe people can change for the better."

Maki chuckled. "Really? You must be as naïve as you look to actually believe that." She shook her head. "If you must know, I did it… to save someone."

"Sonomi-san, right?"

"H-how did you know?" Maki asked.

Tomoyo cut in. "Wait. You were trying to save my mom?"

Maki leaned in inquisitively. "You're… Sonomi was… Tomoyo-chan?"

"Do not call me that!" Tomoyo replied, nearly instantly.

Maki blinked. "Oh, uh, sorry. It's just… You're alive?"

Tomoyo glared at her. "Yes. While you've been doing these monster's bidding, I've been stuck in isolation, keeping them at bay while everyone I know thinks that I'm dead!"

Hesitantly, Maki replied, "Well, I… I have no intention of letting that beast destroy Tomoeda. These machines I designed were meant to destroy him once I got him to deliver on his end of the bargain."

Meiling kicked the wreckage of one of the ruined sentries littering the floor. "You really thought these things could bring it down?"

"They're immune to its greatest weapon," Maki said indignantly. "When Sonomi and I were researching this world, we found that it contained three basic elements. Two most people are aware of, being Paint and Thinner. Paint was named for it unusual consistency, although I'd wager it contains some magical element as well. Judging by your strange pet, it seems like you're at least somewhat familiar with magic."

"Yeah, yeah. Get on with it," said Kero.

"Right. Well, Paint serves as the surface of this world. Thinner, on the other hand, dissolves Paint, hence the name, Thinner. Before the Disaster, Thinner was scarce."

Tomoyo sighed. "Yeah, thanks for the history lesson."

"I get that you know all this, Tomoyo-chan-"

"Don't call me that!" Tomoyo interrupted.

Maki brushed it off. "But please allow me to explain to the ones who don't." With a huff from Tomoyo, she continued. "The robots I built were made of the third element, which we dubbed Inert. It's the foundation of this world, and is unaffected by Thinner. That way, The Blot can't destroy them. Do you understand now, miss?"

"But even if it couldn't beat them, wouldn't The Blot just destroy Tomoeda first?" Meiling asked.

"Oh… I didn't think about it that way," said Maki. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore now."

"But why go to all this trouble?" said Kero.

"Because," Maki said. "It's my fault she died."

"What?" Sakura and Tomoyo asked almost in unison, though in very different tones.

"I built the device we used to contain The Blot's power, but it didn't stop him from taking her with him. By all rights, he could have… maybe even should have… destroyed me as well. But instead, he offered to spare her if I brought him a heart. Not a physical vessel, but the 'heart' that contains one's being."

"It sounds like you were just saving yourself," said Tomoyo.

Maki nodded. "Maybe part of me was. Like everyone else, I lost my heart when I wound up here, so I don't know if I would have been able to have sacrificed my own back then. But I also want to save Sonomi, even if only to appease my own guilt. Don't you… Er, Tomoyo-san?"

"I do. I would like nothing more than to see my mother again," said Tomoyo. "But, it's impossible."

"No, it's not!" Maki said. "Forsake this girl. With that brush and her heart, we can get Sonomi back, then destroy The Blot once and for all!"

"Don't listen to her!" Meiling shouted.

"I… can't," said Tomoyo. "She's my friend. I would never betray her."

"You haven't seen her in ten years!" said Maki. "She forgot you, like she forgot everyone else!"

"That's not true!" Tomoyo replied. "Sakura'd never do that! Right?" She looked at Sakura.

Sakura tried to confirm her statement, but the words wouldn't come out. She couldn't remember the last time she had thought about her old friends from the Tomoeda she grew up in. Not even Tomoyo, or even her own family. She tried to divert her gaze.

Tomoyo moved to look her in the eyes. "R-right?"

"I did," Sakura muttered. "I got used to you not being around and… eventually, I stopped thinking about you. If you hate me for it, go ahead. If you want to abandon me, I understand. But I won't lie to you."

Maki crossed her arms. "See? I thought so."

Meiling stepped between Sakura and Tomoyo. "Don't you dare, Daidouji-san. If you want to take her heart, you're gonna have to go through me!"

"This doesn't concern you, kid," Maki said.

"Yes it does!" Meiling replied. "Kinomoto-san is my friend, too! I don't care if she forgot I ever existed. There's no way I'm letting you take her heart!"

Tomoyo sighed. "There are so many things I wish I could have said to her. She was always so busy. It felt like she was never around. Back in the early days after the disaster, I used to spend hours just thinking about what I would have talked to her about."

"Tomoyo, what are you saying? Are you seriously considering this?" Kero asked.

"Of course not," Tomoyo said. "As much as I miss her, I care about you as well, Sakura-chan."

Sakura embraced her. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

Tomoyo patted her on the back of the head. "Sorry if I worried you."

"Must be nice, having someone who cares about you," Maki said spitefully. "Whatever. I'll do this myself." She began typing into the console again.

"Please, no more of this," Sakura pleaded.

Without stopping, Maki said, "What would be the point of that anymore? So I can let you turn me over to Mizuki-san? Give up the 'nice' act. Why would you even care about someone like me? This is the only option I have left."

They heard a loud sound coming from behind them.

"Don't tell me," Meiling said in exasperation.

The metallic sphere Maki was tinkering with when they arrived buzzed to life. Four mechanical legs emerged from the bottom of the sphere, lifting it off the floor and turning it until a black slit faced the group. From the slit a red light shone, scanning the room until it came to Sakura and the others. Then, it froze, as two cannons emerged from either side.

"Oh, boy," Kero said.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hey, uh, what's the plan for this one?" Meiling asked. The robotic sphere stood motionless, as if waiting.

"Sakura, can you take this one down the way you did with the others?" Kero suggested.

"Right," said Sakura. It felt wrong to her that she should rely on hatred to win this battle, but if it was to protect her friends, it had to be worth it. Right? Then again, this was no time to be second guessing herself. She repeated the phrase which allowed her to control the brush to herself as she rushed the sphere. _I hate you, disappear._ She swung the brush at the floor beneath the tank's feet. It immediately scuttled to the side, kicking aside the ruined sentries that littered the attic. It then countered, launching a glob of Thinner from one of its arm cannons. Sakura attempted to dodge the projectile acid, but her reaction was just a little too slow. It grazed her arm, burning a small hole in her sleeve. She gritted her teeth and fought the urge to grab her arm as the Thinner singed her skin, knowing it would only make the problem worse.

"Sakura! Are you okay?" Kero yelled.

"I'm fine," said Sakura. "Augh…" It was like an unbearable itch she couldn't scratch, but five times more painful.

Tomoyo backed up apprehensively as the tank turned its attention to her and the others. "Careful, it's faster than it looks!"

Kero transformed back into his smaller, more agile form. "Here it comes, get ready!"

The tank launched another couple of shots in rapid succession, as Tomoyo and Meiling narrowly avoided them.

"This is insane! Shut it down!" Meiling pleaded as the tank turned towards her. Maki did not acknowledge her, but merely looked away remorsefully.

As the tank took aim again, there was a loud clang of metal. With a yell, Tomoyo brought her sword down on the joint connecting the cannon to the sphere's body. However, the sword bounced off, barely denting the metal. In response, the tank spun around and tackled Tomoyo. The blow knocked the sword from her hand as she was thrown on her back near the edge the collapsed floor.

Tomoyo rolled out of the way as the tank brought one of its front legs down where she had been lying moments ago. The tip of its metal leg punched through the wood, lodging itself firmly in the floorboards. Tomoyo snatched her sword and got to her feet as it attempted to free itself. "Whoa," she muttered. "Too close."

With the tank distracted, Meiling took the opportunity to leap up the stairs onto the platform, grabbing Maki by the collar of her dress and slamming her against the back wall. "I said shut it down!"

Maki winced. "Get your hands off of me!" She kneed Meiling in the gut and shoved her out of the way. She attempted to run, but Meiling spun around, sweeping her leg and causing her to fall face first onto the floor. Meiling stumbled to her feet. Without a word, she sprinted to the console and looked over the monitor.

The tank quickly yanked its leg out of the floorboard and set its sights on Tomoyo again. She anticipated its attack, dodging out of the way as it began firing off a volley of Thinner. Tomoyo circled it as it tracked her, firing ceaselessly. Suddenly, it stopped. Tomoyo came to a halt as the tank turned away from her, Thinner dripping from its armored plating. Like with the other machines they had faced, the Thinner from Sakura's brush did nothing to it. For a moment, Sakura and the tank stared each other down, each aiming their weapon at the other.

"Sakura, move!" Kero shouted.

On cue, the tank attacked, and Sakura followed suit. She leapt to the side, unleashing an attack that coated the sphere's red eye. Again the Thinner rolled off quickly, leaving her no better off.

Meiling, meanwhile, attempted to shut the tank down from the console. She could see words on the screen, but she couldn't put any of it together. It was all scripts, something she knew precious little about. She typed blindly as she tried to understand the complex system, muttering each thing she typed out loud. "Shut down? Um… off? No, that's not right." Each command she entered came back negative. She checked over her shoulder to avoid being blindsided, but Maki had yet to even stand.

Following up Sakura's attempt to blind the tank, Kero dived in close to it and hovered directly in front of its eye. "Hello!" he jeered. He fluttered up quickly as the spherical behemoth attempted to swat him away with its arm, then back down he went.

"Kero-chan, keep that up!" Sakura cheered.

Kero obligingly obeyed, but complained, "It's not as easy as it looks!" The tank continued to teeter around, trying to regain its sight, until it began firing blindly.

"Get down!" said Tomoyo. She and Sakura hit the deck as the sphere launched Thinner all over the room, painting the walls with dark burn marks.

"No way…" muttered Maki.

Its vision impaired, the tank stumbled and fell into the collapsed floor. There was a loud crash, followed by silence.

"You… you did it?" Meiling said incredulously.

"Kero-chan, you beat the giant robot!" said Sakura.

"I did?" Kero asked. "I mean, I did! Of course I did!" He posed heroically. "And I didn't even have to use my full power."

Meiling hopped down from the podium and ran up to Sakura, hugging her. "It's finally over," she exclaimed. "We're alive! Wow, that was… Wow. Man, I'm exhausted."

As the others celebrated their victory, Tomoyo approached Maki, looking down on her where she lay. "I guess Sakura-chan was wrong. There really is nothing left of the old you, is there?"

"I don't know. I… I just don't know what to do," Maki whimpered. She sat up. "All I wanted was to make up for my failures in the past, but…"

"That thing of yours nearly killed me! If you wanted to make amends to my mother, you would have helped bring an end to the monster that took her from me, instead of giving it what it wanted."

"You don't understand, I had no choice. The Blot forced me to do these things. If I didn't, he'd kill me. If only I'd known you were alive, we could have-"

Tomoyo was trembling with rage. "Forget it! You were only thinking of yourself! I never want to see you again!" She raised her sword and struck. Maki flinched, raising her left arm to shield herself. She stopped the blow, but lost her arm in the process. A split second later, she took a second blow across her abdomen. She collapsed again, clutching the wound on her chest. Tomoyo had the sword raised for another strike when she heard Sakura call her name.

"Tomoyo-chan, stop!" Sakura cried. The scene had drawn the others attention away from their celebration. "Please!"

Tomoyo froze. She looked down at Maki, who laid quietly whimpering at her feet. She gasped and lowered her sword, taking a few steps back. "I… I…"

Meiling rushed to Maki's side and knelt beside her, examining her injuries. "Daidouji-san, what… what did you do?"

"I don't know… I lost control of myself!" said Tomoyo. "I didn't mean for that to happen!" Dropping the sword, she looked over her shoulder at Sakura, who stared back in shock.

Kero fluttered cautiously to her. "Tomoyo, I know you've changed, but… What you did was too far."

At a loss for words, Tomoyo stuttered out a string of unfinished sentences, then broke past Kero and fled toward the exit. Sakura intercepted her, grabbing her by the arm. In tears, Tomoyo struggled to break loose, but Sakura only tightened her hold. Neither of them could speak. For once since she arrived, though, Sakura understood what was happening. Tomoyo had spent eight years dwelling on her anger towards Maki. It was too much, even for her. Still, there was no point in dwelling on it. Nothing would be solved by standing around.

"Tomoyo-chan, don't run away from this," Sakura implored her. Tomoyo said nothing, but gave up struggling. Sakura led her back to the others, where Meiling had set Maki down on her back and had knelt beside her.

"Is she going to be okay?" Sakura asked Meiling. She could hardly look at the poor woman. Sakura couldn't stand the sight of blood. She and Syaoran had once tried to watch a horror movie together, and she remembered little other than passing out.

"Well, she's not dead, so that's good," Meiling replied. "But she won't last long unless we stop the bleeding. Luckily, I've been trained for emergencies such as this, but I'll need something I can use as a bandage."

Sakura took off her jacket. "Will this work?"

"It'll do." Meiling took the jacket from her.

"You girls forget about me," Maki said weakly.

Meiling scoffed. "No way." She tied the jacket tight around the wound on Maki's abdomen.

"Tomoyo-chan?" asked Maki.

It took Tomoyo a moment to realize she had been called upon. "Y-yes?"

"I'm afraid I must ask you to fix my mistakes one more time. Stop the Shadow Blot before he can regain his power."

Tomoyo shook her head. "This is my fault. I'll stay. Sakura-chan, you and Kero-chan-"

"These people need you more than they need me," Maki interrupted. She winced. "Ah. I hope one day, you can forgive me."

"I suppose we've both done things we shouldn't be proud of. This more than anything," said Tomoyo, retrieving her sword. "I'm sorry."

Maki smiled as best she could. "It's okay. At least I won't have to deal with Mizuki-san anymore."

"You guys go," Meiling said. She tossed her key to Tomoyo. "Take the bus. You'll need it more than me. I'm going to stay with her, see what I can do."

"Thank you, Meiling-chan," said Tomoyo. "Don't get your hopes up, Maki-san. You'll make it, just watch."

Maki nodded. "Heh. Good luck."

Tomoyo motioned for Sakura and Kero to follow. As they left the manor, Sakura grew worried. She had begun to rely on hate to get the brush to work. It allowed her to defeat Maki's sentries, but what would happen if she let it get the best of her, like it had done with Tomoyo? She had assumed she could control her anger and thus control the brush, but after what happened between Tomoyo and Maki, her doubts grew. She desperately hoped the brush would never be needed again, so that she may never let the anger that fueled her weapon take control.


	18. Chapter 18

"You can drive this thing, right?" Kero asked as he, Sakura and Tomoyo boarded the bus.

"Of course," Tomoyo replied. "Assuming it can actually still drive." She turned the key Meiling gave her in the ignition as Sakura and Kero took their seats. The bus shuddered to a start. "See? No problem." She put her foot on the pedal and the bus jolted forward, toward the Thinner swamp, nearly tossing the others out of their seats.

"Are you sure?" said Kero. "It never did that when Meiling was driving."

Tomoyo looked at the pedals on the floor. "Yeah, I'm just getting used to it. Here we go." She put her foot on the other pedal, but nothing happened.

"That's the brake pedal," Kero sighed. He fluttered up front and set the gear shift to reverse.

"Oh." Tomoyo backed the bus up, turning it ninety degrees so it was perpendicular to the road. The vehicle halted suddenly as she pressed too hard on the brake.

"I thought you said you knew how to drive!" said Kero, exasperated.

"Well, I may not have been entirely honest about that," said Tomoyo. "I never got to learn, okay?"

"Why'd you say you did, then?" Kero asked.

"I mean… I figured, how hard could it be?" Tomoyo said.

Kero sighed. "What about you, Sakura? You know how to drive?"

Sakura nodded. "I do, but I don't know how to drive stick shift."

"Well, give it a shot," Kero said. "You couldn't possibly do worse than Tomoyo… I hope."

Sakura and Tomoyo swapped places. Before Sakura started, Kero added, "Make sure you take it off reverse before you start."

"R-right." Sakura did as he said, before setting the bus into motion. She chuckled nervously as she drove. "I've never driven anything so big before, either."

"Just make sure you slow down when you reach Main Street," Kero replied.

Tomoyo huffed. "We ought to put in another wheel back here for Kero-chan."

"Excuse me if I don't want you two to wreck this thing any more than it already has been," said Kero. He sat on the dashboard, and from that point there was silence. Though Sakura didn't know the area well, there was little need for navigation. There were few roads that split off from their main course. As she got more comfortable driving, she managed to pick up speed, although the lack of windshield made the trip a little more difficult, especially for Kero, who had to duck under the dashboard to stay out of the wind. At that point, it didn't matter that no one had anything to say, as the wind would have drowned out their voices.

Sakura stopped as she reached Main Street. "Which way are we going?" she asked.

"Down on the end, back to Penguin Park," said Tomoyo. "We need to be getting back to the Scrapyard."

"Why there?" asked Sakura.

Tomoyo sighed. "I suppose at this point I do owe you an explanation. Near the peak of the mountain is a bottle. A massive one, which dropped out of the sky onto Tomoeda eight years ago. It was the source of all the Thinner, and presumably the Blot itself. That was what I spent those years guarding, and that's where we need to go, before the Blot finds it."

Sakura put her foot on the pedal, but hesitated. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"Because I knew as soon as I told you you'd want to do something about it. That's just the way you are. I thought that the best way to deal with it was to leave it be, continue guarding it for the rest of my life. I didn't want to risk everything on the hope that we could just magically solve everything. But, you never know how to keep yourself out of other people's problems, do you? The more I pushed you to leave, the more you wanted to stay."

"I'd never forgive myself if I abandoned everyone for my own sake," said Sakura.

"Yeah…" said Tomoyo, with a smile. Yet her smile soon faded. "Have I… abandoned everyone?"

"What makes you say that?" Kero asked.

"I told myself that I was there on the mountain for everyone else's sake. That I was protecting the bottle to stop the Blot from regaining its power. In the end, though, I was doing the same thing as Maki-san. Worse, actually. She at least actually tried to do something. All I did was hide."

"No, you didn't!" Sakura cried. "You were trying to help people! I-"

"No, Sakura," Kero interrupted. "She's right."

"Kero-chan!" Sakura growled.

Kero continued, "Look, I'm not going to lie to you to try and make you feel better, Tomoyo. What you did was awful. I waited so long for you to show up after the Disaster. I… don't think I need to tell you how it felt to lose someone I cared about."

From where they were parked, Sakura could see the statue Sonomi had commissioned. The little child, holding her great-grandfather's hand and gazing in awe at the decrepit castle over the horizon. She could still remember how she felt when Kaho told her Tomoyo was gone. Somehow, even knowing it wasn't true and Tomoyo was alive and well, it still bothered her. The polite girl who had cheered her on in her card capturing days was so different from the bitter young woman who had, in a fit of rage, mortally wounded another human being.

"I see," muttered Tomoyo. "I'm sorry."

"Look at you now, though. You aren't hiding anymore. We're so much closer to wiping away the shadow that's been looming over this world for eight years, and we couldn't have done it without your help. All you needed was a little push."

"Y-yes." Tomoyo smiled. "Thank you, Kero-chan. And you too, Sakura-chan, for making me finally do something."

"I'm just glad you've come to terms with this," Sakura replied.

"This is not the time to dwell on the past. I have abandoned Tomoeda and hurt Maki-san, but now it's time I fix my mistakes," Tomoyo said with a determined look on her face.

Sakura smiled back. Maybe Tomoyo had changed, but she still held that same spirit she had always had. With that behind them, Sakura set a course for Penguin Park.


	19. Chapter 19

"Come on, let's get moving!" Tomoyo said, nearly leaping off the bus.

"H-hang on! What's the hurry?" Sakura called. She snatched the key from the ignition and chased after the others. They rushed past the King Penguin slide to the gate in the back of the park. Tomoyo attempted to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"I think it's locked," Kero observed.

Tomoyo slammed the gate with her shoulder. "Well, that's just great."

"Can't we just go around?" Sakura suggested.

Tomoyo sighed. "It's not so easy as just going around the outside of the park. Trying to find a safe route through the swamp could take hours."

"Excuse me? What are you doing?" said a woman's voice from behind them. Sakura yelped and spun around. It was Naoko, glaring at them with a disapproving look. When she realized it was Sakura, however, she lightened up. "Oh, it's just you, Sakura-san. Hey, what happened to your arm?"

"N-Naoko-san?" said Sakura. Naoko wasn't paying attention. She was staring inquisitively at Kero. As soon as Kero realized she was looking at him, he hid behind Sakura.

"Hey, uh, at the risk of sounding crazy, did you happen to see that weird, flying… cat thing?" asked Naoko.

Tomoyo played dumb. "C-cat thing?" It wasn't terribly convincing.

Naoko leaned over to peek behind them. "You didn't see it? It flew behind you."

"Are you sure you didn't imagine it?" said Sakura. She could feel Kero pressing up against her back to hide.

Naoko sighed, rubbing her eye. "Man, I need to sleep more. I'm not imagining her, though, right?" she asked, motioning towards Tomoyo. "What's with that weird dress? And is that a sword? Is that… Is that blood? Who are you? Shoot, am I asking too many questions?"

Tomoyo replied, "Well, you're not imagining me, I made it myself, this… is a sword, I'll explain later, I'm a friend of Sakura-san's, and yes, you kind of are."

"I'm sorry! You aren't going to kill me, are you?" cried Naoko.

Tomoyo looked exceedingly uncomfortable. "Of course not!"

"Phew." Naoko looked genuinely relieved.

"Naoko-san, we need to go back to that mountain. Can you unlock the gate for me again?" Sakura asked.

"Mizuki-san still okay with it?" said Naoko.

"Should be," Sakura said.

"Alright, on one condition. Tell me what you're doing there this time. Doesn't matter if it's top secret, I need to know. Does it have anything to do with why this woman's got blood on her?"

Tomoyo winced and looked at her feet. _Hang in there, Tomoyo-chan,_ thought Sakura.

"Fine," Sakura answered. "We're going to defeat the Blot."

Naoko's eyes widened. "Really? I thought it had already been destroyed by Daidouji-san! You're telling me it's still there?"

"It is…" said Tomoyo. "That's why it is imperative that you let us through."

"Alright," Naoko said. She fetched the keychain from her pocket. "One more thing, though. Who are you, really?"

Sakura was puzzled. "I really am Sakura!" she insisted.

From the way Naoko was looking at her, she would have thought she was insane. "I meant her."

Sakura turned slightly red. "Oh."

Despite her resolve on the way there, Tomoyo seemed hesitant to answer. Scared, even. She could not even look Naoko in the eye.

"I think you should tell her," Sakura told her.

Tomoyo tried to speak. "My name is… Um…" She looked at Sakura.

As much as Sakura wanted to help her, though, she knew it was something Tomoyo had to overcome herself. She simply nodded in an effort to encourage her.

Tomoyo fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!"

Naoko looked at Sakura. "What's her deal?"

Sakura wanted to comfort Tomoyo, but she couldn't move while hiding Kero behind her back. She attempted to persuade Tomoyo from where she was. "It's okay, you can tell her. She'll understand, right, Naoko-san?"

Naoko gasped. "You did kill someone!"

"No!" Sakura cried. "That's not it! Tell her!"

"I…" Tomoyo stood up. "Um, my name is… Tomoyo Daidouji. Eight years ago, I ran away and abandoned everyone I was meant to protect. I'm sorry."

Naoko thought for a moment. "Oh. If that was what you were apologizing for, then what's the sword and bloodstains about?"

"You aren't, I don't know, shocked?" asked Tomoyo.

Naoko shook her head. "Nah. I mean, I didn't think Sakura-san would ever show up here, and yet here she is. Today's all around just been a weird day for me. For all I know, I fell asleep on the job, and now I'm in a dream. I mean, I saw a flying cat earlier. But in case I'm not, you didn't answer my question."

"Oh," said Tomoyo. She looked at the sword tied to her waist. "I lost myself. I lost myself and hurt someone. I told myself she deserved it, but I was just as bad, and once this is over I will make it up to her."

Naoko replied, "Oh. Sorry for pressing you on something so sensitive. And just for the record, I'm not mad even if you were hiding. We all get scared sometimes."

"Even you, Naoko-san?" Sakura asked, remembering Naoko's fascination with ghost stories.

"Heh," laughed Naoko. "Even me." She walked between the two and unlocked the gate. Sakura snuck Kero into her bag as Naoko passed. "Good luck stopping that thing. I know it's only midday, but I'm exhausted, so I'm going to go lie down for a while. Try not to do anything else too exciting without me, okay?"

Tomoyo took a deep breath, then with a smile replied, "No promises."

Naoko nodded. "Fair enough." With that, she walked away.

Tomoyo pushed the door open. "I hope everyone else can be as forgiving as you and Naoko-san," she said.

"I'm sure they will be," Sakura replied.

Only once they passed through the gate did Kero leave the confines of the bag. "That was close."

"Yeah," said Sakura. "You've gotten caught a lot today! You need to be more careful."

Kero laughed nervously. "Um, shall we go? We need to hurry before the Blot beats us there."

"I just hope it hasn't already," sighed Tomoyo.


	20. Chapter 20

Unlike her first trip, Sakura and the others encountered several blotlings on their way to the Scrapyard. Despite reassurance from Kero and Tomoyo that they were mindless puppets controlled by the Blot, it still was a bit nerve-wracking to watch Tomoyo destroy them. Whether or not they were puppets, they felt alive when Sakura looked at them, far from the inorganic AI of Maki's sentries.

Sakura looked through the canopy of leaves at the cloudy sky. It was always difficult to see the sun through the clouds. "I wonder what time it is," she said.

Tomoyo shrugged. "I don't know. Regardless, we should hurry. If there are this many blotlings, the Blot itself may be close by. It could be at the mountain already." She picked up the pace, and Sakura and Kero rushed to keep up.

At first glance, the already dismal mountain looked even drearier. Large globs of Thinner covered the slopes, painting black spots on the grey cliffs.

"Oh, no," Tomoyo gasped. She ran irrationally quickly along the little bridge of land that connected the mountain to the main island. As she and the others reached the base of the mountain, a massive shadow dropped in front of them. Sakura recognized its sinister smile in an instant.

"That's it," she muttered. "That's the Blot." Sakura and Tomoyo both drew their weapons, and the Blot took off into the mountain.

"Did we scare it away?" Sakura asked.

Tomoyo answered, "No, we just aren't worth its time." She put the sword away and turned to face the others. "We don't have much time. Here's the plan. You two, distract the Blot while I secure the bottle. Once that's done, we put an end to this, once and for all."

Sakura sighed. "We have to climb this thing again? There's no way I'll get up there in time!"

"Kero-chan, can you carry her?" asked Tomoyo.

"I'm not sure," Kero said. "You aren't kids anymore. I don't know if I can carry that much weight."

"It'll just be Sakura-chan. I'm going on foot," said Tomoyo. With a nod, she added, "Good luck." She turned away and sprinted off towards the mountain.

Kero reverted to his lion form. "Alright, let's get this over with." Sakura was a little hesitant to try to ride him. The mountain was high, and so much of the surrounding area was hazardous. One mistake could be the end of either of them.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sakura asked.

"What're you worried about? I'm the one who has to do all the heavy lifting!" Kero complained.

With a deep breath, Sakura took a seat and clung on tightly to his fur.

"Ow! No so hard," shouted Kero.

"I'm sorry! I'm just nervous!" said Sakura.

Despite all effort to mentally prepare, Sakura couldn't help but scream when they took off. She shut her eyes and clung on even tighter as Kero carried her up the mountainside. After what felt like a minute, she braved up enough to open her eyes. They were already quite a ways up, near the point where the path they took the last visit ended. The cliff below was a steep drop to the sea of Thinner. Sakura closed her eyes again. _Was it this high last time?_ she thought.

Kero landed on a level peak near the top of the mountain. Sakura slid onto the ground and, after righting herself, took a look around. It was the first time Sakura had seen the highest peak of the mountain. It was much larger than it appeared from what she could see from her first visit. Even from this high, though, the mountain had few distinguishable features. The only thing worth noticing outside of the rock and pools of Thinner was at the peak, where a massive green bottle sat wedged in the cliffs.

Sakura saw the room again, the one she had seen in her visions in the manor. But why, she wondered. Was it related to the bottle? There was nothing special about its appearance, aside from its size. It was just a plain green bottle. She tried to remember more of the vision. Before she could, though, she was interrupted.

The Blot appeared before them once more, grinning as always. It wound back and chucked a glob of Thinner at them.

"Duck!" Kero warned, pushing Sakura out of the way. The attack splashed behind them, leaving behind a large puddle of festering goo.

"Looks like we got its attention. Thanks for the save, Kero-chan," said Sakura. She got to her feet, snatched the brush from her bag, and held it up. "Come on, let's end this."

"You seem confident," said Kero.

Sakura blushed a little. "Oh. Do I?"

"You lost it," Kero chuckled.

The Blot sunk into the ground, becoming a giant shadow. It charged at Sakura and Kero, who each dove in a separate direction to avoid the attack. The first attack missing, the Blot launched itself up, then back into the ground. It rose up partway and inhaled with such force that it began to suck Sakura in. She clung on to an outcropping of rock and held on with all of her strength. A few yards away, she saw Kero doing the same.

"I can't… hold on!" Kero shouted. There seemed to be no end to how long the Blot could continue. With no opposable thumbs and little to hang on to, Kero was in serious trouble.

Sakura rolled onto her back and attempted to stand, but the force of the wind dragged her towards her behemoth foe. She was prepared to strike with the brush to stop the assault, but she couldn't find the strength to carry through. It wasn't just about the Blot being a living creature anymore. No matter how horrid the Blot was, Sakura did not want to rely on hating the enemy ever again. She knew it wasn't an option to catch the Blot and turn it into an ally, like with the Clow Cards. Even if she hadn't left the wand on her bedside table, it would be useless against a monster like this. Reasoning with it was out of the question. But still, the thought of losing herself for even a moment to her anger hindered her ability to wield the brush. Though she was aware that the circumstances were different behind Tomoyo's case, it wasn't a risk she was willing to take.

She stumbled and fell back to the ground. However, the Blot let up on its attack as well. As she regained her bearings and looked up, Sakura realized that the Blot was already preparing another attack. She jumped to her feet and sprinted out of the way as it chucked another ball of Thinner at where she had fallen. It exploded behind her, spraying her calves with a few stray drops. She just gritted her teeth and endured it. All of the running around, enduring whatever befell her… It was too much. Her legs felt like jelly. She only wanted to collapse into the warmth of her bed. There was no telling how far off she was from that, though. Every little accomplishment felt like the end, only to lead into more trouble. But Sakura reminded herself, _this is for Tomoyo-chan, and Kero-chan, and everyone else. So that they can be happy._

"Sakura! Move!" Kero shouted.

The Blot loomed over Sakura with its usual grin. Sakura glared back, grasping the brush tightly in her hand. "I'm not running. I am not afraid of you anymore!" She pointed the brush at it. "So stop looking down on me with that stupid smile on your face!"

There was no turning back. Success meant betraying herself. Failure, the destruction of everything she held dear. Not only that, she realized, but also betraying everyone who was depending on her. Her father, her brother, Tomoyo and Kero… everyone. There could be no more holding back. Maki and Tomoyo had both come to face their selfishness. Sakura decided it was her turn.

Sakura fired off the brush one more time. Only this time, it wasn't the putrid green liquid that appeared. It was instead an odd blue substance, which struck The Blot's face. It choked on the slime, absorbing it into its body as blue patches appeared on its form. And yet, The Blot soon collected itself. It looked down on Sakura no longer with an eerie smile, but with a horrible grimace. It prepared for another attack.

Sakura dodged out of the way as it swung, but there was no explosion of Thinner behind her. The Blot looked at its hand, then attempted to hurl another ball of Thinner. Once again, nothing happened. In response, it got in close to Sakura and raised it fist. Kero intercepted it, pushing it back with a burst of fire.

Sakura retaliated with another attack of her own, knocking the monster back. It fell to the ground and tumbled over the cliff. Sakura hurried to the edge and looked over. The Blot dropped to the bottom of the mountain and landed with a great splash into the Thinner sea.

"Oh, gosh," Sakura muttered, staring over the cliffside as the Thinner settled again.

"Good riddance," Kero added. "We've finally done it."

"Heh," Sakura chuckled. "I suppose we did."

"That was quite the showing," said Kero. "Come on, let's regroup. I bet we'll be able to beat Tomoyo to the bottle, huh?"

"I guess we did make it up here rather quickly. Still, I feel a little guilty. But if that was what was controlling the blotlings, then they'll disappear too, right?"

"Most likely."

"Then we've done it," Sakura sighed. "We've finally done it. I just wish it didn't have to end like that."

"Save your sympathy," Kero groaned. "That thing only wanted to destroy us."

Sakura nodded reservedly.

"Come then, no more feeling sorry for yourself. It may not feel like it now, but you did the right thing. Let's go."

The bottle loomed ahead as they set off to meet up with Tomoyo.


	21. Chapter 21

From up close, the bottle was just as large as it seemed. It was over three times as wide as Sakura was tall, and a stream of green ooze dripped out of the base of the seal. The seal itself was nothing more than a plug on the bottle's opening. Sakura tried to push it in a bit, but it was so large that she couldn't get a good angle to push it from. She stepped away. It was better to leave it be until Tomoyo arrived than to go messing around with something so dangerous.

She sat against a rock and examined the burns on her arm and legs. The burns she had suffered outside Nakayoshi were still red, and the dead skin was peeling. She picked at it uncomfortably and groaned. _How am I ever going to explain these to Syaoran?_ she thought. It was bad enough she had been missing the entire day. She knew Syaoran would worry if he found out what had happened in this world.

"You're only going to make it worse if you do that," Kero advised.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," said Sakura. She looked up at the bottle. "I'm just trying to keep my mind off things."

Kero sat down next to her. "You want to talk about those things?"

She leaned forward and rested her arms on her knees. "I don't know what Syaoran will say if I tell him about this place."

"Heh, I'm sure the kid won't say you're crazy."

Sakura shook her head. "That's not it. I'm afraid he'll worry about me after everything that's happened."

"Are you going to lie to him, then?" Kero asked.

"I…" She thought about that for a moment. Of course she didn't want to lie. She was always as open and honest with others as she could be. But knowing everyone else they had known back in Tomoeda were in some tiny, barren world could burden him as well, and she didn't want him to have to deal with that. "I don't know."

"Hm," said Kero. "This is serious, then."

Sakura sighed. "There's something else bugging me, too."

"What's that?"

Sakura replied, "Um, I don't really want to talk about it right now. At least, not until I get it figured out myself."

"Wha-? Then why'd you bring it up?"

"Sorry." Sakura shut her eyes. She tried to remember that vision she had in the manor again. Somehow this bottle reminded her of it, why? Was the room she saw somehow related to it, or the world in general? It was always so hard to remember something when you wanted to. Still, she regained a faint recollection of the room in her vision. It was dimly lit and lined with shelves of books and miscellaneous jugs and bottles, although the details on these were fuzzy. The walls were an undecorated white plaster. A mirror was hung over a fireplace, or at least she recalled one. Then there was the table in the middle of the room, the one something had been dripping from. A spill of some kind.

A spill. Sakura looked back up at the bottle. _What does that have to do with this world?_ she thought. _Was it me? Did I… cause this? Please, what does it all mean?_

She tried to remember more. What else was on the table? The brush? Was it there as well, or was her memory playing tricks on her? She saw herself, younger, carelessly playing around with it. She wanted to chastise that girl. She should have known better. But was it a vision, though? Or just her imagination? It felt strangely real. It was then that she knocked that bottle over, spilling its contents all over the table and onto the floor. And… What else? She wracked her brain for answers. A model of some kind? She could not remember the details of it, but there was some strange model on the table as well.

Sakura shot to her feet with a gasp.

"Huh? What's wrong?" asked Kero.

It had to be impossible, right? It was the same feeling she had the night she discovered the Clow Cards. Even after meeting Kero, chasing down a giant bird-like creature, and soaring over the city, she still couldn't believe it. It wasn't until the next morning that she truly accepted that it was all real. That was different, though. She'd never make a mistake like that. Or maybe it really was a memory? The disaster happened eight years ago, so she would have been sixteen. A sixteen-year-old wouldn't have been so careless. Even if she'd not seen her friends or family in two years.

It did get pretty lonely. Syaoran was there too, but they were both so busy it was hard to meet up. All she wanted was a break. But once those guys in the suits offered to make her famous, all it was was work. No time for friends or family. Then, when Sakura was fourteen, the ones she still occasionally heard from disappeared from her life as well. And now, here they were, in a world of her destruction.

"Sakura?" Kero said.

"I can't believe it," Sakura muttered. "I… don't want to believe it."

"What do you mean? Sakura?"

"Hey!" Tomoyo sprinted up to rejoin the group. "What are you sitting around for?"

"We were waiting for you!" Kero growled.

"Wait, so you already beat it?" said Tomoyo.

Kero nodded. "Yep. I think we have Sakura to thank for that. You should have seen her!"

Tomoyo chuckled. "Man, I wish I had gotten that on video." With an exasperated look from Kero, she added. "I'm kidding!" She walked up to the giant bottle and placed her hand on the seal. "I wonder what kind of power is contained in here."

"I don't," Kero muttered.

Tomoyo glanced quizzically at Sakura. "Something the matter? You should be happy. We won. You can finally go home!"

Sakura forced a smile, but it quickly collapsed. "I have something to tell you. I…" She had never found anything as hard to say. It was the same issue she was facing with Syaoran. Though it would only serve to trouble Tomoyo, she knew it would be selfish to keep it a secret from her.

"You don't have to apologize," Tomoyo said. "I understand wanting to go home."

Sakura groaned. "No, that's not it."

"What's on your mind, then?"

"I think… I think the, um…" Sakura stammered. Tomoyo deserved to know. She deserved to know, even if it meant she would hate Sakura for it. "I think that the Thinner Disaster was my fault."

Both Tomoyo and Kero's eyes widened. "Um," said Tomoyo, with a stern look. "That has to be a joke, right? Well, it isn't funny."

Sakura just shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it. I remembered it when I saw the bottle. It was an accident. I was in this… um, this workshop of some kind, when I spilled something. From what I can remember, it was a model of some kind, but it might have affected this place as well."

"But you aren't sure, right?" Tomoyo asked. "Right?"

"I thought it was a dream at first, but the more I think about it, the more I believe it actually happened. I can't keep it from you." She held up the brush. "I even saw this there."

"I'm pretty sure you imagined it," Kero said dismissively.

"Even if I did, you both deserve to know."

Tomoyo shut her eyes and clenched her fists beside her. She was trembling. "I don't believe this. I've lived… like this… because of you?"

Sakura took a step back. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"Sorry? What about my mother? I'll never see her again, thanks to you!"

Sakura shrunk back. "I…"

Tomoyo continued. "This… This naivety… It was fine back when we were kids, but you need to learn to grow up!" She slammed her fist against the seal.

"Tomoyo!" Kero shouted. She reluctantly gave him her attention. "Look, I don't like this place any more than you do. And, I admit, I am a little disappointed to hear this as well. But you shouldn't argue like this. What will it accomplish?"

Tomoyo sighed. "I know. I just… I miss her."

She jumped as the bottle lurched violently, as if whatever was inside suddenly wanted out…. in a big way. There was a loud roar that seemed to come from within it.

"What was that?" Tomoyo gasped.

"I… I thought we beat the Blot?" said Sakura.

A crack began forming, expanding as the bottle lurched over and over, as Thinner began seeping out. Tomoyo urged the others to retreat. There was nothing that could be done. The seal burst, and a torrent of Thinner came spewing out of the bottle, running down the mountainside until it all gathered together. From that pool rose a beast of Thinner that dwarfed not only the Shadow Blot, but almost the mountain as well.

"W-what is that?" Sakura cried.

Tomoyo just stared up at it in disbelief. "This… This is the thing that attacked Tomoeda eight years ago. This is the Blot."

"Wait," said Kero. "I thought we just beat the Blot!"

Tomoyo just shook her head. "This is impossible. Then the one we came here to fight… was nothing more than just another blotling?"

It was not long before the Blot caught onto their presence. It scanned Sakura's group, then lifted its giant hand towards them. Sakura wanted to run, but she was paralyzed. Her body refused to move.

"Get out of the way!" Tomoyo shouted. She shoved Sakura to the side just as the Blot reached her, but did not have enough time to escape herself. The Blot grabbed her. She struggled to escape, but she was trapped.

"Tomoyo!" Kero yelled. He took off into the sky, but before he could do anything the Blot snatched him up in its other hand. With the same hand, it pointed at Sakura.

Sakura knew what it wanted. She could give up her heart and save them but let the Blot into her own world, or flee and let her friends perish. Either way, there was no way she could conceivably stop it. Sakura tossed the brush aside. It was useless against something of this magnitude.

"Sakura-chan! You can't!" Tomoyo gasped, still vainly trying to break free. "Don't give it what it wants! If… If you surrender your heart this way, you might not survive!"

Sakura ignored her. _I've caused you so much sorrow_ , she thought. _I won't forsake you now._ She stepped forward and stretched out her arms. _I'm sorry, Syaoran. I don't think I'll make it home tonight… It's up to you now, Tomoyo-chan._

The Blot shot a spike of Thinner from its fingertip that struck her chest. It felt as though a thousand needles pierced her heart. It drew out something from within her, a formless object that gave off a faint glow. The Blot, having collected its ransom, tossed Tomoyo and Kero back onto the mountaintop nearby.

Sakura grew faint. Her head was swimming, and the world faded into a blur. She could hear Tomoyo and Kero calling her, but their voices were muffled. Her legs gave out and everything went black.


	22. Chapter 22

Sakura woke up feeling a bit dazed. Her head was throbbing and every part of her felt sore. Images of a great shadow towering before her clouded her thoughts. She rolled over, wrapping herself in the blanket and burying her face in the pillow. It was so warm here, she felt so far away from it all.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. "Tomoyo-chan!" she gasped. She tried to sit up, but her body was stiff, and she fell back into her pillow. As she caught her breath, she took in her surroundings. She hadn't realized it before, but she was back in her own bedroom. She tried to piece together how she got there. Kero had said that no one could leave Tomoeda without a heart, and she had given hers up. Or had she? She was home in her nightgown, and the burn on her arm was gone.

There was a knock at the door. "Mm?" Sakura asked.

A young man stepped inside, carrying a bowl. He set it on the nightstand and sat at the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?" he said.

The only answer she could muster was, "S-Syaoran?"

He patted her forehead and replied, "Yes, I'm here."

Tomoyo's voice rang silently in her head. _If you surrender your heart this way, you might not survive!_ "Am I dead?" she asked herself.

Syaoran just chuckled. "I don't think so. You've come down with a pretty nasty cold, though. Here, I made you some soup."

"No thanks. I appreciate it, but… I'm not hungry." There were too many questions and not enough answers. "How did I get here?"

He looked at her with a puzzled expression. "How did you get where?"

"How did I get back home? I was… Um, there was this place. It was like… I don't know how to explain it."

Syaoran stood. "Are you feeling okay? Perhaps you should get some more rest, recover your strength." He took a few steps towards the door, but Sakura called out to him.

"Syaoran," Sakura asked, "Do you think that Tomoyo-chan is doing okay?"

He thought for a moment. "Oh, yeah. Daidouji-san? I'm sure wherever she is, she's doing fine. Maybe you should try contacting her sometime."

Sakura nodded, but his answer was not enough to satisfy her. She no longer knew what was real and what was her imagination. She had already accepted that memory of the workshop, and now she was questioning her reality again. Still, she took refuge in the idea that perhaps she had made it all up, that her childhood friends were far from danger. At the same time, a small, selfish part of her wanted those moments she had spent with her old friends to be real. _What am I talking about?_ Sakura thought. She knew that if none of it was real, she could still see her friends again. It would be hard, but not impossible. They were out there, somewhere, perhaps thinking the same thing.

"Is there anything else you needed?" Syaoran asked.

If none of it was real, none of it mattered. Actually, it did matter. It proved to her that she still cared about her family and her childhood friends, even if she hadn't seen them in so long. She told him, "I was having the strangest dream. I wound up in this world, and everyone we knew back when we were kids was there. Tomoyo-chan, Kero-chan, Meiling-chan… My father and brother."

He leaned against the doorframe. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. But there was this monster, and Tomoyo-chan and Kero-chan and I were trying to fight it, and that's when… Um…"

Syaoran got another good chuckle out of this. "Hm, you should write that into a book."

Sakura just laughed along, but didn't understand why anyone would want to read about something like that. It was nothing but one disaster after another.

With one last nod, Syaoran said, "Well, I'm gonna go, if it's okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"Okay," Sakura replied. "Oh, and Syaoran?"

"Hm?"

"You don't think it could have been real, do you? I mean, we went through so many weird things in the past, right? I just, I don't know. I guess I'm just being weird. But, it's not impossible, though, is it?"

Syaoran smiled knowingly. "Is it? What do you think?"

Sakura thought long and hard on that. _What do I think?_ It was nothing like any dream she had ever had before. It was so focused, so detailed. She remembered it all too well. Could it really have been all in her head?

"Sakura!" cried a muffled voice. The voice did not sound like Syaoran's. She looked back to the door, but he was gone.

"S-Syaoran?" said Sakura. "Come back…"

The voice called out to her again. "Sakura! Can you hear me? Wake up!"

"Kero-chan?" Sakura muttered. She closed her eyes and concentrated on making sense of it all. _Wake up. Wake… up. I have to wake up._


	23. Chapter 23

"Here, this should do it for a while," said Meiling, touching up Maki's bandages with a light curtain she had taken from the floor below. It was by no means ideal, but it was better than nothing. However, she recognized that Maki would need to be transferred to the hospital in Nakayoshi soon. Treating her injuries properly was outside of any training Meiling had.

"Thanks again," Maki replied softly. She was only growing weaker with time, but she was in no state to be moved.

"Don't thank me just yet. We still need to get you to a real doctor."

Maki sighed, shook her head, and added, "I still just don't understand it. Why do you go to all of this trouble for me? I'm your enemy. You should have just left me to die."

"What kind of person would I be then? Maybe she lost faith for a while, but I know Tomoyo-san believes in you again. And if she believes in you, then so do I. And if not, well, everyone at least deserves a second chance, right?"

"Hm, how very noble of you. Is that what it means to be the hero?"

Meiling sat down beside her. "Hero? No, not me. Sakura-san, she's the hero. She'll never give up on anyone. I can see why Syaoran liked her so much. She's something special."

"This Syaoran, is he someone you loved as well?"

Meiling chuckled. "No. I care about him, of course. He's my cousin, as well as my friend. I was just thinking… It's funny, and maybe a little embarrassing. When I was a child, I told myself I was going to marry him."

Maki raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said he was your cousin?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up," Meiling groaned. "But, like I said, I was a child when that happened. I was really shy back then, and he was the first person who was truly nice to me. I guess I just got carried away."

"I see."

"What about you?" Meiling asked. "Was there anyone in your life that you cared about?"

"Huh? Me?" Maki gasped. "Well, there was Sonomi…"

Meiling interrupted, "Let me rephrase that. Have you ever been in love before?"

Maki took a deep breath. "Before I came to Tomoeda- Not just this world, but the real Tomoeda as well- I was engaged. Every year on the anniversary of our being together, he would give me a stuffed animal as a gift. I didn't care much for them, but he was quite fond of them, so they meant a lot to me. Then, one year, on our anniversary, he proposed. Naturally, I accepted. Shortly after, there was an accident. He… didn't make it. It was because of him that I decided to run a toy store. But even that nearly ended in disaster. Some things happened, and everyone thought I was a criminal. I was forced to move, but my misfortune followed me. That was when I came to Tomoeda, but even then I couldn't escape."

"I'm so sorry," said Meiling.

"Don't worry about it," Maki replied. "Like I said, that was a long time ago. I've come to terms with it, I suppose. Though, I still wish I could have saved him. I thought I could at least save Sonomi, but I failed her as well. I'm a curse. Anyone who tries to get close to me suffers for it. You should go before it strikes you as well."

"I don't care how many times you try to talk me into leaving. I told you, I'm not going anywhere."

"Heh… You know, the day I arrived in Tomoeda was the day I first met Kinomoto-san. She and Tomoyo-chan were quite nosy, but shortly after I met them those strange occurrences stopped. I couldn't help but feel as though they had something to do with it. Having seen this world and what that girl is capable of, I'm now more than ever convinced she was responsible."

"You remember something like that that happened such a long time ago?"

"Yes," said Maki. "So many strange things happened back then…"

Meiling laughed. "You don't even know the half of it."

There was a low rumble as the world seemed to suddenly go dark. Everything around Meiling was reduced to a dim outline. She made her way to the window and looked to the sky. The clouds, usually a dim gray sheet, were now a spiraling mass of near black, although it was impossible to tell where the storm was centered from the attic of the old manor.

"Huh? What's going on?" gasped Meiling.

"This can't be happening," said Maki. "Have they failed?"

"No, they couldn't have failed. They never fail…" Meiling leaned against the wall, still staring at the spiraling clouds.

"This is all my fault. I brought that girl here. None of this would have happened if not for me… I've brought my curse upon this entire world."

Meiling stumbled back to where Maki was lying, avoiding the debris of the recent battle. "We don't know they've failed yet. They might still be out there, doing everything they can. We just need to have faith in them." She knelt down and scooped Maki off of the floor.

Maki winced in pain as Meiling lifted her. "Ngh. What… are you doing?"

"The longer we wait, the worse it's going to get. You need to see a doctor. Let's get to Nakayoshi as soon as possible."

"We can't. I can't," Maki said quietly.

"No more excuses," Meiling scolded. "We're going, now. You don't even have to walk. I'll carry you." She groaned, "I do wish I had my bus though."

"That's not it. Even if we do make it, I'll never be accepted after everyone learns what I did. I'll be outcast or imprisoned. What kind of life would that be?"

"Tomoyo-san and I will vouch for you. We'll make sure Mizuki-san lets you go, and we'll make sure that this doesn't define you. In return, I ask that you stop lying to yourself and just let me save you. Okay?"

Maki smiled slightly. "I understand."


	24. Chapter 24

Sakura's head was still a bit fuzzy as she woke. She could not immediately tell much about her surroundings, other than she was lying on her back, staring at the few dim lights above her. There was a low hum and the sound of wind. It was an eerily similar setting to the one she woke up to when she first arrived in that dismal little world.

She heard Kero's voice. "Hey, I think she's coming to."

She felt something nudge her shoulder. "Sakura?" This time it was Tomoyo's voice she heard. She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings.

Kero was hovering over her, beaming. "Thank goodness!" he said. "I was worried you'd never wake up."

Without much thought, Sakura replied quickly, "Where am I?"

"Back on the bus, just across from the lab," Tomoyo replied. They had laid Sakura along a row of seats, and Tomoyo sat in the one at Sakura's feet, watching her with a somber expression.

"Tomoyo drove, so you might have been lucky to sleep through it," said Kero. Tomoyo frowned, but said nothing.

"Lab?" Sakura had definitely heard about it before, but she'd never seen it. She tried to sit up, and as she did, something fell into her lap. It was a damp piece of cloth that up until then she had not realized had been set across her forehead. She picked it up and set it in the seat beside her. As she did, she noticed something else: a bandage wrapped around her chest, bloodstained where the Blot had struck her. She stared at the wound for a few moments.

"We were very worried that the Blot had damaged your heart when it took your, um, 'heart,'" said Tomoyo. "We were so relieved when we found out you were still breathing."

"So," said Sakura. "I don't have a heart anymore. I wonder what that means." Nothing seemed off to her. She had always heard that the heart was the source of emotions, but she still cared about her friends. What was more, her friends still cared about her, despite having lost theirs long ago. Then again, she already knew that it was not actually true. What purpose, then, could that 'heart' have served her up until this point?

"No one's quite sure," Tomoyo replied. "My mother was interested in that as well, ever since she discovered their existence. But even she couldn't solve the mysteries of the heart." She shook her head. "Haha, I suppose phrasing it that way makes it sound like something out of a romance novel."

"Maybe then at least something good would come of all this," Sakura said. She wished for some way to reach out to Syaoran, that he might somehow save them all. Or, at the very least, so she may talk with him one more time. Still, although she had determined her reunion not too long ago was false and it wasn't Syaoran who said those things, she knew they reflected his true feelings.

A roar of thunder pierced the sky, creating a great flash of light. Sakura leaned over and looked out the window. The clouds were denser than ever, reducing the horizon to a dim black outline. Pillars of pitch black were barely visible against the clouds. Only when another flash of light struck could she see them properly. Massive towers of ink stretched beyond the clouds, standing high like skyscrapers, but warping strangely like giant tentacles trying to seize the moon from the sky.

Sakura lifted herself out of the chair, grasping the handrail above to keep her footing. Tomoyo offered her a hand, but she politely declined. She could barely look Tomoyo in the eye knowing all that had happened. It was no longer a matter of whether Tomoyo could forgive her. What mattered now was that she could forgive herself.

The wind was far harsher outside the shelter of the bus. Sakura propped herself up against the side of it as she disembarked. She was far from recovered, and had to use every bit of her concentration simply to stand straight. The others followed close behind her. Kero, struggling with the wind as well, took refuge in the bag, which was now in Tomoyo's possession.

"Look out there," Tomoyo said, drawing Sakura's attention out beyond the shore, across the sea. The lightning provided Sakura a glimpse of what Tomoyo was referring to. A concrete rail, collapsed in several areas by the elements, stretched out far into the Thinner sea to a distant island. The only detail that could be made out in the limited visibility was a series of grey towers, which seemed tiny from such a distance. "That was the lab where my mother did all of her research. And that's where we are going."

"Are we looking for some old research notes or something?" asked Kero. "Something on how to fight that thing from the initial attack?"

"No," said Tomoyo. "But there is something there that might help us. I'll explain later, but for now we need to find a way to get there."

"Like a boat?" Sakura suggested.

"We'd need something sturdy," Tomoyo said. "A wooden boat would disintegrate long before we reached the other shore. It can't be too small, either. With the storm, something like that wouldn't survive the waves." She thought for a moment. "You two stay here. I'll scout around the docks and see if I can find something intact." She handed Kero's bag to Sakura, and without further pause, walked off into the darkness.

Sakura was silent for the time Tomoyo was gone. It no longer mattered what it all meant. Too many times she had doubted herself. Too often she had questioned why she was there. She only had one goal in mind: To save everyone she could. She knew now that when it came down to it, she was willing to lay down her very life for the people of this world, so there was no point in dwelling on it any longer.

Tomoyo wasted no time in her search. Hardly a few minutes passed before she returned and beckoned for them to follow. Sakura and Kero followed her back to a small boatyard a short way from the bus. The remains of a few sunken ships, slowly decaying in the foul liquid, peered out of the Thinner near the docks. Tomoyo paid no mind to them, although Sakura glanced at each as they passed. They stopped at a small shack on the edge of the Thinner sea. The door was left wide open, and Tomoyo led the others inside.

The room was already lit, via a lantern on a desk near the doorway. In the middle of the small shack was a motorboat. It was a little larger than normal outboard motorboats, and came complete with a cabin that could provide some protection from any Thinner that could potentially spray onto the boat. It was raised out of the corrosive Thinner, at the top of a gently-sloping ramp meant to set it into the sea safely.

"If I remember correctly, we won't need to take this back. Well, are you ready?" asked Tomoyo. She grabbed the lantern from the table and set it on board the ship, but decided to forego the life vests. Drowning would be the least of their worries if they fell overboard.

After helping Sakura on board, she asked Kero's help in moving the boat into the water. It took the combined strength of her and Kero to budge the ship, but they managed. As it slipped off the ramp and into the sea, they clambered onboard, and Tomoyo started up the motor. It puttered a few times before the ignition finally took, and with that, they were underway.


	25. Chapter 25

Even with the ship's headlight, visibility was tough in the storm. They could hardly see a thing beyond a few yards ahead of the bow. Using the dim silhouette of their destination on the horizon, Tomoyo carefully adjusted the boat's direction as the coarse waters and rough waves shifted them continuously off course. Sakura sat on one of the uncomfortable wooden benches on either side of the cabin, silently watching as the spires of the lab grew gradually larger in the distance. Kero sat on the dashboard, looking out as well. The air was filled with a tranquil sort of silence marked not by a lack of sound, but by the unchanging sounds of the wind and the waves. Sakura might have dozed off again if it were for the unpleasant feeling in her stomach from the boat's shifting. She never had had a problem with seasickness before, but the conditions on that little vessel were extreme, to say the least.

Tomoyo was the first to speak. "You know, I never thought I'd be coming back here."

"Isn't it about time you told us why we're here?" Kero asked. "What are we looking for?"

"Do you remember what Maki-san said about inert elements?" said Tomoyo.

"That stuff those robots had that the Thinner couldn't get through?" said Sakura. If she remembered correctly, that was the stuff they were mining at Skull Rock.

"Yes. Back before the Thinner Disaster, my mother had been studying it. It's hard to obtain, since it's usually only found underground. In order to clear some of the surface material to retrieve a sample, my mother's research team used blasting charges. There were still some charges left over after the project, and they've been sitting in storage ever since… At least, I think so."

"You think so?" Kero said in exasperation.

"It should be there. I doubt anyone's moved it."

"What do we need blasting charges for?" Sakura asked.

"Um… Well, if we get enough of them, we can use them to destroy the Blot."

Kero replied, "How do you suggest we get them anywhere near that thing?"

"There were a few prop planes on the island," Tomoyo said. "At least one must still work. All we have to do is load it up and smash it into the Blot."

"What?" Kero exclaimed. "You can't even drive, you can barely sail, and now you want to fly directly into that monster?"

"I know it sounds a little rash, but we need to get inside of it anyway. Remember, the Blot has Sakura's heart. Once we get inside, we get Sakura's heart, escape, and boom! Save Tomoeda."

"You're awfully confident in this plan, aren't you?" sighed Kero.

"If I wasn't, it would probably never work."

Kero looked at Sakura. "Can't you say something?"

Sakura replied absently, "I guess we have no choice."

"Are you even paying attention?" Kero groaned in frustration.

"Don't worry!" said Tomoyo. "As long as we all do what we need to, there's no way we can lose. But that means that we need you, too, Kero-chan."

"Ugh…"

There was a light thud as the boat lurched. "Oh, hey, we made it," said Tomoyo.

"Don't say it like you're surprised… You weren't, right?" Kero said.

"Thank goodness," Sakura added. She gathered up her energy and lifted herself out of the seat, stumbling a little.

Tomoyo caught her arm. "Whoa, whoa! Are you alright?" Sakura nodded, but Tomoyo helped her onshore regardless. The boat's light allowed them to get their footing, but the rest of the island was shrouded in a thick darkness. As they settled their feet on solid ground, Tomoyo added, "Hey, um, in case I haven't already said this, thank you. What you did back there was foolish, but you saved me, not to mention Kero-chan."

Sakura said, "I couldn't let you die, and… Well, I can't do this without you."

Tomoyo laughed a little. "That's, uh… Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. We all have our part to play." She handed Sakura the lantern she brought from the boathouse and pointed up a short staircase that led deeper into the facility. "The hangar should be up that way and to the right. You'll know it when you see it. You two go find a plane. I'll get the charges and meet you there, okay?"

"I don't like the idea of splitting up," said Kero. "Can't we stay together? What if we get lost?"

"It would be better if Sakura-chan doesn't strain herself too much. The hangar's not too far, just be careful. We don't know what to expect." She started up the stairs. "Good luck."

"Will you be okay on your own?" asked Sakura.

Tomoyo glanced back. With a slight smile, she said, "Well, I managed for this long." Without waiting for a reply, she took off.

"Does something seem off about her to you?" Kero asked.

"Hm?" said Sakura. "Yeah, you're right."

Kero growled. "Grr, I wonder what's she's not telling us."

Sakura shook her head. "Don't blame her. She's just still upset with me. She's trying to hide it, but… I can tell." She sighed. "I… Never mind, it doesn't matter. We have to go to the hangar, right?"

"That's what she told us to do."

"Should we go?"

"I… suppose we don't really have any other options, do we?"

"I guess not," said Kero. He led the way up the stairs. As Sakura followed behind him, a flash of lightning revealed the landscape. For a brief moment, she could see pillars of steel and broken glass towering above them. They looked like they could collapse at any moment. Some were warped already. It was astounding that they could withstand the harsh wind in such a state.

At the top of the stairs was a split walkway with a gate on either side, although neither door was still in place. The monorail line ran above the wall between them. They turned down the pathway to the right, but stopped. Sakura glanced back at the other gateway. "Couldn't we go after her?"

"I suppose so," Kero said. "She probably wouldn't be too keen on it, though."

"But if she gets into trouble, won't she need us?"

"Well, what do you want to do?"

Sakura set the lantern down and leaned against the wall. Obviously Tomoyo wouldn't be pleased to see her straying from the plan, but she knew that they'd be better off together. Still, she had seen Tomoyo face off against those robots. All Sakura could do was collapse the floor under the machines that made them. _She doesn't need my help_ , Sakura thought. It wasn't the same for her. Her friends had always had to rescue her. _She can take care of herself. I'm the one who needs protection… Am I really so helpless?_ She sighed. "Let's just stick to the plan." She stepped through the gate and into the lab.


	26. Chapter 26

Though the path split, both gates led to the same open courtyard. In the light of the lantern, they could see the space fairly well. The courtyard was barren and empty. The plants had wilted away, leaving rough dirt and rotting stumps along the crumbling stone pathways. To the immediate right of the gate they entered through, another stairway led to an empty station, the end of the line for the monorail that ran across the sea. At the far end stood the entryway into the main part of the large building, which was divided into a series of steel towers, one large one in the center and six others arranged around it. To the building's left was a large greenhouse, which was as barren as the rest of the yard. To its right was a warehouse-like building that, based on Tomoyo's directions, Sakura presumed was the hangar, although any signs that might have directed her around the facility had since faded.

Sakura took a moment to imagine what the place might have looked like when it was still in operation. The plants that decorated the courtyard, the operations of the monorail, the reflection of sunlight off the glass towers. She shook the thought from her head. It was better not to think about such things. She was the one responsible for the dismal state of the place, after all. She began making her way to the hangar, but halfway across the courtyard she stumbled and fell to her knees.

"Hey, you alright?" cried Kero.

Sakura tried to shake the feeling away. "Ngh… Yeah. I'm just still a bit dizzy."

"Maybe we should wait here a bit longer. You haven't been awake for very long. You need more time to recover."

Sakura lifted herself off the ground. "We have… to keep going…" she muttered. She took two steps forward before collapsing again.

"You've done enough," said Kero. "Take some time to rest."

Sakura rolled over onto her back and stared into the clouds spiraling above her. There was no time to rest anymore. The Blot was free and Tomoeda was in danger. She had to do something. But perhaps Kero was right. There wasn't much she could do if she couldn't even stand up. Sakura closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the wind. She took a few moments to do nothing. She didn't move, didn't think, didn't pay attention to the passing of time. She felt the warm winds blowing across the courtyard and heard the roar of thunder from the storm. Meanwhile, Kero sat nearby, quietly keeping watch.

They sat there, waiting, until at last the waiting became unbearable. Sakura sat up. "How do you think Oniichan and Otousan are doing?"

"I'm sure that your family is okay," said Kero.

"How can… How can you be so sure?" Sakura muttered.

"Huh?" Kero asked. "Why should we think any different?"

"The Blot's going to destroy everything. Maybe… Maybe it already has." _And I created it._ Sakura curled up on the ground. _I created it, and now it's going to destroy everything._

"It's only won if you give up here. I understand why you're having doubts. You're tired and there's no end in sight. I'm tired, too. But as long as there's a chance, I'll keep on going. It's not ideal, but that girl has a plan. For now, let's stick to it."

"R-right…" Sakura stood up, struggling a little to right herself. She fetched the brush from her bag and turned towards the hangar. _I created it, and now it is my responsibility to destroy it._

The door squeaked loudly as she forced it open. The door, with rusted hinges and a bent frame, jammed halfway through opening it. Sakura squeezed through the crack and, wiping the thick dust off on her dress, held up the lantern to light the building. Although the lantern only revealed a fraction of the darkness, she could see along the walls were shelves of tools. There were a number of single-wing prop planes, each painted a faded blue. However, the ones within immediate view were out of the question. Some had their wings warped or broken. Others were missing their propeller. There was one to her right that had snapped off of its landing gear entirely and lay crooked on the concrete floor. Deeper in, beyond the range of the lantern's light, there was the sound of oozing liquid.

Sakura let out a small shriek as thunder reverberated through the hangar. It echoed loud through the confined space.

"I'd hate to be here when they're running all these planes," Kero whispered.

"I just hope there's one that still that runs," Sakura replied, in an equally hushed tone.

"It'd be a shame if there wasn't."

"What would we do if there's not?" Sakura asked.

Kero groaned. "I don't know if I want to think about that right now." Considering the risks they took traveling on that boat the first time, he probably had a point.

Sakura walked up to a nearby plane and examined it. It was one of the ones that was missing part of the wing. "I wonder what Tomoyo-chan's mom needed all these planes for."

"Don't ask me."

"Hm. Maybe she was moving a lot of stuff around?"

"I don't know. I told you, don't ask me," Kero sighed. "Maybe? I mean, it seemed like she was very invested in that research. But even then, did she really need this much?"

"I guess so." She headed further in. As the lantern illuminated further into the hangar, she saw something large and black lying on the floor. It appeared to move slightly, causing Sakura to jump back. Aside from slight convulsions, though, it stayed in place. Sakura walked around it, leaving a wide berth between herself and it.

There were a few more planes back at the end of the room, most of which were partially or entirely covered by blue tarps. She walked up to the nearest one and removed its tarp, which crumpled loudly on the floor. She immediately glanced back at the black mass in the center of the room, but it still did not budge, so she turned her attention back to the aircraft. The hood of the plane was removed, allowing them to see that the compartment was empty.

"This thing doesn't even have an engine!" Kero complained.

Sakura shushed him. "Let's check the next one." That one she ultimately decided to skip. The shape of the tarp implied that the wings had been removed from the body of the plane.

Removing the tarp from the third plane on the row, it seemed more promising. Nothing appeared to be missing. She attempted to open the door on the pilot's side, but it was locked, or possibly stuck. Looking around the station behind this plane, she saw an assortment of tools, and sure enough, a set of keys hung from a hook above the workstation. Unlocking the door, it swung open with a creak. She tried the ignition, which puttered, then stalled.

Kero shrugged. "Maybe it's out of gas?"

"Might as well try it." She went back to the workstation and searched around again. There were a few canisters, and she quickly was able to find one that was filled, though it was a bit heavy. She set the lantern on the station's desk and dragged the canister back.

"Man, this is like some kind of weird fetch quest," said Kero.

"What do you mean?"

"Nevermind."

"Okay… You can help, you know." Sakura searched around the hull of the plane for somewhere to pour the gas into. "Where do I fill it up? It's… just like a car, right?" she asked herself out loud.

Kero responded regardless. "Probably."

"Ah, here we go!" Sakura said proudly, locating a small hatch on the side of the fuselage. She opened it and removed the cap. It took both arms to lift the canister, but she managed. As soon as she was done, she replaced it and rushed back the cockpit as if going for a swift getaway. This time, it took only a couple turns of the ignition to start the plane. There was a loud roar as the propellers spun to life.

"Yes!" Sakura cheered. She shut it down and hopped out. "We did it!" she called to Kero.

"That's great," he replied. "But you should look at this." She hurried to see what Kero was referring to.

The black mass was writhing on the floor, beginning to stretch itself towards the ceiling. Sakura went back to grab the lantern, which was still sitting on the desk. With its light, she got a better look at what was rising up in front of them. Unlike the other blotlings, which were small blobs that stretched out their arms to grab their victims, this creature was large and almost humanoid in form. It had a large body, thick clawed arms, and short legs. As it stood, it began lumbering slowly towards them.


	27. Chapter 27

"Don't make any sudden movements," Kero said.

"I-I don't think that works with these!" Sakura cried.

"Right… Well, we found a plane. Our new job is to protect it. Um, let's see… Get it to chase you or something! Lead it away!"

Essentially, be the bait. It wasn't technically a bad plan, but Sakura wasn't too keen on the prospect of actively trying to get an oversized ink monster to follow her. _I can't believe I'm doing this_ , she thought, with a sigh. She braced herself before taking off full sprint across the floor.

The moment she ran, the giant blotling let out a tremendous roar that echoed through the hangar. It began to charge, and it was much faster than it had looked. As she looked over her shoulder, it was clear that it was gaining on her. She yelped and ducked out of the way. The blotling, however, had too much momentum. It couldn't stop until it slammed into one of the ruined planes, crushing the fiberglass and shattering the windows.

"Yeah, nice one!" Kero cheered.

Sakura stepped back as the blotling lifted itself out of the wreckage. "Now what?"

"Well, we got it away from our plane. Now we just need to bring it down."

"Easier said than done…" said Sakura. As the blotling turned to face her, she readied the brush.

With another roar, the blotling charged at her again. This time, she attempted to use the brush against it, the way she had against the false Blot. She could not remember how to get it to work, and panicked in the face of the charging behemoth. She dove out of the way again, and it skidded past her.

"What are you doing?" Kero called.

"It isn't working!" she replied.

"What do you mean, it isn't working? Didn't you get it to work before?"

"I don't remember how!"

"Right." Kero jumped in beside her, reverting to his true form. "Looks like you need my help after all, huh?"

"Thank you," she muttered. The blotling was already approaching again, although this time, it did not charge. It lumbered warily towards them. They slowly backed away from its advance. "What do we do?"

"Um, let me get back to you on that- Heads up!" he yelled as the blotling lifted a discarded fuselage and chucked it towards them. They each ducked to one side as the plane skidded across the floor with a loud screech.

"Man, that thing's serious," Kero said. "New plan. Split up! It can't track us both at once."

"And then what?" She knew that, if it came down to it, she could go back to relying on hate to utilize the brush's Thinner, but there was not enough time to figure out what she did to make it work at the peak of the Scrapyard. Though, even that plan was uncertain if her heart wasn't in it. Which, it was not.

The blotling grabbed another ruined plane and raised it over its head. Sakura prepared to move as it turned towards her. She managed to dodge the wreck as the blotling heaved it towards her, but they were making no progress towards defeating the monster. They couldn't keep it up forever. Sakura was already exhausted, on top of her injuries.

"Do you need some help?" said a voice. Sakura shrieked as someone grabbed her arm from behind. She spun around to see Tomoyo standing there.

"T-Tomoyo-chan!"

Tomoyo nodded. "I got what we need, but it looks like we're going to need to clear this place out before we can move on."

"It's so big…" Sakura whimpered.

"You beat the Shadow Blot, right? This is nothing compared to it. What are you worried about?"

"I don't remember how I did it. It just happened." Sakura wasn't sure she was thinking anything when she dealt that blow. She just did it.

"I see. Stand back, then. Let me handle this." She drew her sword and stepped forward.

"Tomoyo-chan, wait!" No matter how well Tomoyo could handle herself in a fight, this did not seem like one fight she could win.

Kero ran up beside Sakura. "What is she doing?"

The giant blotling began charging towards Tomoyo as she approached. Tomoyo herself stopped, and, at the last second, dove out of the way. As she did, she swung behind her, slashing the monster's thigh. With an anguished roar, it fell.

Sakura gasped. _That looks so awful_.

"Amazing, Tomoyo!" Kero shouted.

The blotling picked itself up and turned back towards its new opponent. Arms spread wide, it let out another roar. Tomoyo nodded and prepared for its next move.

The monster stomped towards Tomoyo, taking a swing with its massive claw. Tomoyo avoided the attack, retaliating with another of her own across its belly. The blotling cried out, then lashed out. It took another swing with its powerful arm. Only this time, it managed to land its attack.

Tomoyo let out a yelp as the blotling's strike launched her several feet into the side of a plane. She slammed into the back end and fell to the ground.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura shouted.

"Are you all right?" added Kero.

The monstrous creature moved towards Tomoyo as she remained motionless on the ground. With the intent of diverting its attention, Sakura tossed a piece of debris at it and shouted, "Hey! Over here!" However, her attempts made little of an impression.

Kero charged ahead, shooting a fiery breath at its legs. It stumbled back, winding up another attack. Anticipating its strike, Kero jumped back out of its reach. The blotling followed.

"Well, that got its attention," said Kero. He took in another deep breath and fired again, keeping his distance from the creature's claws.

Meanwhile, Sakura hurried to where Tomoyo was lying. She shook her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Tomoyo coughed. "Ngh, yeah." She sat up, clutching her chest. "Ow… How careless of me," she muttered.

"Here, let me see," said Sakura. She moved Tomoyo's arm away. The blotling had struck her abdomen, burning holes in the fabric with its toxic liquid body. The skin underneath was partly reddened. Sakura applied a small amount of pressure to the injury.

"Ow, ow!" cried Tomoyo. She grasped the burn again and turned away from Sakura.

Sakura patted her on the shoulder and stood up. "Stay here, okay?"

"Nnh." Sakura took the response as confirmation and regrouped with Kero as he kept the monster busy.

"How is she?" Kero asked, continuing his assault. His flames were enough to repel the blotling, but not enough to make any lasting effect.

"Okay," said Sakura. "But it's up to us to stop this thing."

The blotling snatched up another aircraft and began sauntering towards them, dragging the plane by the tail. The tip of the wing scratched across the pavement, emitting a terrible screeching sound.

"Oh, boy. Here it comes again!" said Kero. "Come on, you have to figure that thing out!"

Sakura clutched the unusual weapon tightly, backing away as the blotling approached. "I can't!"

"Yes, you can! You've done it before, you can do it again!"

She held up the brush and tried to focus. "Come on…" Nothing happened. All she could think about was the behemoth slowly walking towards her.

"You need to calm down! Remember why we're doing this!" Kero continued. "Don't worry, I'm right here with you."

 _Why we're doing this_. Sakura tried to shake the thoughts of all the dangers ahead of her. The one she faced now, and the impending fight with the Blot. _Calm down_. Part of it was guilt. If it was her fault this happened, it was her responsibility to fix it. She glanced past the approaching blotling to where Tomoyo was curled up beneath the wing of the plane. Even before Sakura had known what she had done, she had stayed. Maybe part of her actions were out of guilt, but of course there was more to it than that. Tomoyo was the reason Sakura chose to fight. Her and everyone else who lived in this little world. Kero, Meiling, her brother and father… everyone. For them she had faced the forces of a terrible monster and a woman who was willing to do anything for her cause. And that was why she was now going up against this creature.

"Come on," Sakura repeated, shaking the brush slightly. She felt a slight tremble. She took a deep breath. "I can do this. It's all going to be alright. I… I can do this."

With a massive release of energy, a fountain of blue ink exploded from the bristles. The force of the wave cause the blotling to stumble back, dropping its weapon. When the fountain stopped, it seemed to have left a lasting effect. The blotling had a slight blue tint and appeared dazed. It began stumbling towards her again, so she applied a second coat of Paint. The blue tint grew stronger with every strike. It felt wrong to attack it in its weakened state, but she had to protect what was important to her.

After a third strike, the monster had become bright blue from the Paint. As it stood, Sakura prepared for another attack, but the blotling did not approach her, nor Kero or Tomoyo. It walked into a corner of the room and lied down.

"Was that it?" said Kero. "Did you win?"

Sakura put the brush away. "I think so."

"So… What did you do?"

Sakura looked over to where the blotling had gone. It was difficult to see in the limited light, but it looked as though the creature had gone back to sleep. "I think I made it friendly. Or at least no longer hostile."

"Wow," Kero replied. "You think we can get it to fight for us?" Sakura gave him an exasperated look. "Right, sorry."

They hurried back to where Tomoyo was. Sakura helped her up, although she still felt a bit lightheaded herself.

"That was amazing," Tomoyo chuckled, propping herself up on Sakura's shoulder. "Did you figure it out, then? How to use the brush?"

"I guess I just needed to let go of fear," said Sakura. Once her priorities overtook that fear, she managed to control the brush's power.

"That's great," Tomoyo said, with a smile. "So you found a plane, right? Then let's get it loaded up."

Once they reached the plane Sakura and Kero had scouted, the three lugged the large red crates Tomoyo had brought in carefully into the back of the plane, loading as many as they could fit. Sakura helped Tomoyo into the seat, then ran around the back and hopped in the passenger's side. Kero shifted back into his miniature form and fluttered in with her.

"Right. Are you ready? Let's go," Tomoyo said. She winced a little as she went to start it back up.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to take over?" Sakura offered.

"Heh, I'm fine." The propeller whirled to life. They began taxiing down the runway towards the open hangar door. The end of the runway extended out the door and out over the vast Thinner Sea.

"You better be right about this," Kero said.

"Hang on, here we go," said Tomoyo. The plane accelerated, and as it accelerated it began to lift off the ground. A few moments later, they were airborne. Tomoyo gently tilted the controls, steering them towards the shadowy figure of the Blot towering above Tomoeda.


	28. Chapter 28

"You're drifting a little bit to the left," Kero said.

"You can thank the wind for that," Tomoyo replied. "I doubt these planes were designed for this kind of weather."

"Are you sure this is safe?" asked Sakura. She turned around in her seat to examine their cargo. The rear of the plane had been stuffed with as many of the canisters Tomoyo had brought as possible. If even one of them detonated, it would undoubtedly bring their mission to an end.

Tomoyo glanced over to her for a moment. "Oh, don't worry about those," she said. "They aren't going to go off just being jolted around. They aren't even armed yet."

"O-okay." Somehow that didn't make her feel any better about hauling a pile of explosives in the middle of a storm.

Sakura turned her attention to the window beside her, looking down onto the world below her. It was pitch black except for the few masses of light from the little towns. Where the land ended and the sea began was indistinguishable. She attempted to identify each town from its silhouette of light. The largest area was probably Nakayoshi, the other two Main Street and Kodansha.

A thought crossed Sakura's mind as she stared out the window. She looked back over at Tomoyo. "What will you do when all of this is over?"

"Huh?" asked Tomoyo, a little bit shocked. "What will I do? I guess… I'll go back. The Blot's already escaped, so there's no reason to stay on that mountain anymore."

That answer wasn't enough to satisfy Sakura. She wanted to know that Tomoyo had a plan for her life when she returned. "But what will you do?"

"I don't know, really. I guess I'll try to start my own tailor shop, or… something. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time." She sighed. "I wish you could be here to visit. I would have loved to make something for you again."

"Well, maybe one day I can."

Tomoyo paused for a second. "Yeah. Maybe." Her voice had lost its enthusiasm. Sakura wanted to say something, but she knew it was likely she really would never be able to come back.

"Well, I for one am going to sleep," Kero declared. "This whole ordeal has been exhausting."

The two young women laughed. "Yes," Tomoyo said. "I wouldn't mind some rest either." It was about the same for Sakura.

They were drawing near to their target. The Blot did not react to their presence, although it was not clear if it had not noticed them, or if it just did not see them as a threat. Either way, Sakura was relieved. It easily towered over the whole island. That was not something she wanted to face head-on.

"This is it," said Tomoyo. She took a deep breath. "Um…" She glanced over at Sakura.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

Tomoyo shook her head. "It's nothing. I just, uh… I wanted you to know that it's been an honor being your friend. I've thought of you so much these past years. So… Thank you for that."

"Please don't say things like that!" cried Sakura.

Tomoyo smiled a little. "Sorry if I worried you. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate the time we spent together. I know you have to go home once we finish this, but even if we never meet again, I'll never forget you. So please, don't think that I hate you. I realize that what happened was a mistake. I know I shouldn't hold it against you, so… I won't."

"I'll never forget you either. You or Kero-chan," Sakura replied.

"Yeah," Kero chuckled. "We're a pretty great team, aren't we?"

"Mhm," agreed Sakura. "And Meiling-chan, too."

With a smirk, Kero replied, "Yeah, I guess she's not too bad either."

"Hang on, everyone. This may be a bit rough," Tomoyo said.

Sakura looked ahead. A collision with the Blot was imminent. As they made their approach, the Blot looked down at them, reaching out to snatch them out of the sky. Tomoyo pressed forward on the controls, causing the plane to dip forward. They began losing altitude fast, but the Blot missed them. Once out of the Blot's grasp, Tomoyo pulled the plane back, slowly bringing it back up. The collision grew ever closer.

"Brace yourselves!" Kero called. Sakura grabbed her seat as the plane dived nosefirst into the belly of the beast. There was a sharp impact, and that was the last thing Sakura remembered before she lost consciousness.


	29. Chapter 29

Sakura came to in a dark cavern. The ground below her was cold and hard, but the surface was slightly elastic, like the entire floor was made of rubber. It was eerily dark and quiet. She could see nothing around her, except a field of red dots of light up ahead. She crawled towards the nearest light and reached for it. What she picked up was a large cube. One of the charges from the plane. She followed the trail to where the lights were most concentrated. They were arranged in a messy pattern, stacked together but shuffled in the crash.

"Kero-chan! Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura called.

"Sakura?" Kero's voice called back. He sounded somewhat close.

Sakura called out his name again, putting the cluster of charges behind her as she took small steps towards the source. Suddenly, she saw a flash of light, a small ember of flame ahead of her. "Kero-chan, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," Kero replied. He exhaled another flicker of flame, far less brilliant than the blaze he had used to repel the behemoth blotling. "Can you see me?"

"Yes! Wait there, I'm coming!" Sakura shambled toward him, carefully making her way through the darkness. As she reached him, she pat his head to let him know she was there. "Do you know where Tomoyo-chan is?" Sakura asked.

"Ngh… Yeah, I'm here," she heard Tomoyo's voice reply quietly.

"Thank goodness," said Sakura. "I don't want to get separated again."

"You're right. We don't know what can happen here." Sakura heard a slight whimper from Tomoyo as she finished speaking.

"Tomoyo-chan?"

"I'm alright. I just hit my head, is all. Come on, we should get back to the plane."

Sakura pointed back towards the lights, although it was a futile motion in the pitch black. "I think it's back there."

"We should have brought that lantern with us, huh?" sighed Kero.

"Yeah. I wish we had a flashlight or a torch or something." Sakura began heading to where she first heard Kero, using the lights to guide her. "Here, follow me."

She felt Kero brushing up against her leg as she walked, although she did not know whether it was to keep track of her or just because of how dark it was. _Well, at least we won't get lost_ , she thought. As they made it back to the lights, she said, "It should be right here."

Kero flickered a light, and for a brief moment they could see the metal fuselage of the plane. "So it is. Is there anything that we can use to light this place up?"

"Kero-chan, would you please give us some light?" said Tomoyo. "Just long enough to search."

He provided enough light that they could see how bad the damage really was. The wings and rudder had been sheared off, and the propeller was just as damaged. The doors to the passenger's seat and cargo bay were missing, the windows were shattered, and the body was bent, slowly leaking fuel. The area around them was a strange greenish-black color, with web-like structures along the uneven surfaces of the walls.

However, Sakura's search came up negative. There was no flashlight or anything like one in the front seat compartment. All that she found was a few old papers detailing the plane's schedule for delivering materials for research. There was no luck on Tomoyo's end either.

"Nothing in here," Tomoyo muttered.

"Nothing?" said Kero. "I can't keep this up forever. It's exhausting."

"Hang in there, Kero-chan," Tomoyo encouraged. "We'll think of something."

"Let me look a bit more." With the light Kero provided, Sakura found a metal rod that had once been part of the support for the wing. She then cut a little off the hem of her dress with a shard of glass from the shattered window. The glass dug into her palm as she did, drawing a small amount of blood.

"What are you doing?" Kero asked.

"Making a torch," Sakura replied with a confident facade. She took the fabric and wrapped it around one end of the rod, dousing it in the plane's leaking fuel. Finally, she held it up for Kero to light.

"There. Just like in the movies, right?" Sakura said, waving her makeshift torch to test it. She wiped the blood off on her dress.

"Hang on," said Tomoyo. She grabbed Sakura's hand and examined the cut. "You're bleeding."

"Yeah. It's only a scratch," said Sakura dismissively. It was quite painful, actually. But in the new light, she noticed something else. "You are too."

A cut had been formed along one of Tomoyo's temples, leaving a trickle of blood to run down the side of her head. She wiped it away with the back of her hand. "I… I know."

"You should bandage that up," said Kero. "If you don't, it's only going to make things harder."

Tomoyo pulled a few crates from the back of the plane. "There might be a medical kit back here for emergencies, unless they took it out for the repairs."

Kero sighed. "I hope not."

Tomoyo retrieved a white box from the plane. "It looks like we're in luck. It was still there." She grabbed a bandage and wrapped it around Sakura's palm. Another she tied around her forehead. "That's one less thing to think about."

"In hindsight, I wonder if we could have just used one of these to make the torch," Kero suggested.

"I hope not, or else I cut my hand for no reason," said Sakura. At the very least, the bandage was holding up.

Tomoyo knelt down next to one of the bombs. "Well, it was a noble effort." She began tinkering with a few dials and switches.

"What are you doing?" asked Sakura. Those things still made her nervous.

"Arming it. We need to be ready to go as soon as we retrieve your heart. Once we do, all I need to do is press the button, and we destroy the Blot before it destroys everything." As she said this, the red light switched over to green. Content with her tweaks, Tomoyo moved to the next one.

"Are we going to have do every single one?" Kero said. "That's gonna take forever!"

"If we want enough force, yes. Here, you can help. I'll walk you through it." Following her instructions, Sakura and Kero began to gather up the other bombs and activate them with her. Kero had some trouble handling it in his true form, but once he reverted he found it a little easier.

"How did you know how to do this?" Sakura asked as they worked.

"My mother took me on some of her expeditions. It was fascinating work."

With their combined effort, it was not too long before they had the work finished. A pile of red cubes, ready to bring about the destruction of a terrible monster.

"Okay, they're all ready," Kero said. "Let's go find Sakura's heart."

"We're in the Blot's gut right now, so we'll need to head up," added Tomoyo.

Sakura looked around. One large corridor went straight ahead, branching of into narrower passages. Behind them it went into a dead end, as it appeared the way they entered had sealed itself. With a motion of her head, Tomoyo took the lead, making her way toward the wide passage. They left the plane behind one more time as they headed further into the monster's gut, while the path began sloping up as they progressed.

Somewhere along the way, Sakura grew uneasy. She could hear what sounded to her like ghostly whispers. She looked around at the passages that stemmed from their own. It could be coming from any of them.

"D-do you hear that?" Sakura choked out.

Tomoyo and Kero both paused to listen. "Yes, I do," said Tomoyo.

Sakura swallowed hard. "Um, do you think it's a ghost?" The whispers echoed through the corridor.

Tomoyo shook her head. "The Blot undoubtedly knows where we are. I wouldn't be surprised if it was sending something to stop us."

"What kind of something?" asked Kero.

In response, Tomoyo said, "We shouldn't stay to find out."

Sakura occasionally glanced back as she walked, expecting at any moment something horrifying to appear. The whispers grew louder.

At last they reached the end of the corridor. It then opened up into a huge chamber, filled with pools of a slightly luminescent, bubbling green liquid. The grimy walls and foul stench caused Sakura to gag.

"Where are we?" Kero said, likewise choking on the horrid air.

"Well, considering where we came in, I'd say…" Tomoyo paused to think. "We're probably in what could be considered this thing's stomach."

"Does that mean that stuff is stomach acid?" said Sakura.

"I would think so. I doubt I need to tell you not to touch it."

"Well, duh," said Kero. "So which way do we go now?" Sakura heard the whispers again.

Tomoyo looked around the disgusting chamber. There were a few passageways that extended beyond the stomach. "There." She pointed to the one highest along the wall. It was certainly farther up than Sakura figured she could jump.

"How do we get up there?" Sakura asked.

"Kero-chan, this is where you come in. Can you give us a lift?" asked Tomoyo.

He groaned. "Like I said, not at the same time."

"That's okay. We'll take this one at a time. Sakura-chan, would you like to go first?" She was interrupted by another whisper, louder than the ones they heard before. They all swung around to see three forms walking towards them. They were already closing in.

"Blotlings?" Kero shouted.

"No, they seem… different," said Tomoyo. She gasped suddenly. Despite their inklike bodies, these beings had the appearance of humans. They ambled towards the group with arms stretched out in front of them, walking clumsily like zombies. "Oh. Oh, no."

"What is it?" Kero asked.

"They're not blotlings. I think… I think they're what's left of those who were lost to the Blot."

"Huh?" Sakura backed up. There was a look of great pain and sorrow on their faces.

"Retreat into the stomach!" ordered Tomoyo. "We have to reach the heart!" She fell back, avoiding the pools of acid as she made her way to the corridor she had chosen. Sakura and Kero followed, as the beings slowly pursued them. As they reached the wall, they cornered themselves. There was no way to go except up, back towards the Lost, or across the deadly liquid. Sakura pulled out the brush. This was the price of her recklessness. If Tomoyo was right, then these people were left to suffer at Sakura's mistake. But while they may be beyond saving, but there were still many others who were counting on her. It was not yet time to give up.

Sakura looked over to Tomoyo. "You go ahead. I'll hold them off."

"Are you sure?" Tomoyo responded.

"Don't worry, I only need until Kero-chan can come back for me."

As Kero gave Tomoyo a lift onto the higher ledge, Sakura prepared for the Losts' advance. They mumbled incoherently, reaching towards Sakura as she backed into the wall. She pulled out the brush and shot a blast of Paint at the nearest. The blue ink knocked it back a couple steps, but left no effect like it had on the regular blotlings.

Kero dropped down in front of her as they surrounded her location. She put the brush away and held on, as Kero jumped up and carried her to the passageway. He landed next to where Tomoyo was waiting, and Sakura took a moment to walk back to the ledge to look down at the lost souls. Unable to reach them, the beings wandered aimlessly back towards the many other corridors.

"That's so sad," was all she could say.

"Yes," said Tomoyo. "We should hurry." She turned and walked away. Sakura took one last glance at the Lost, then followed.


	30. Chapter 30

The path seemed to curve upward in a long spiral. Occasionally another major passageway would branch off of theirs, but they remained on course. There was no telling if they were on the right track, but it was taking them higher into the Blot, and that was where they needed to go.

Being inside of a living creature was still such an unusual experience for Sakura, even if it was a magical being made of ink. Though, that only made it more unusual… Not that she wanted to get used to it. She'd much sooner get out. She expected at any moment for the Blot to move, causing everything around her to shift. Until then, though, the real threat came from within. The lost souls that wandered the caverns were more dangerous than many of the opponents they had faced so far. They could not fight them; They were people, after all, even if they were no longer living. Not to mention they were immune to the effects of the brush's Paint. The only advantage Sakura had was, like with the little blotlings, how slowly they moved. As long as there were only a few of them, they could avoid being surrounded again.

Sakura kept a careful ear out for the Lost. They were far removed from the group that had attacked them in the stomach, but there was no telling how many more were near. Worse was, deliberate or not, each and every one was a stain on Sakura's own hands.

At last they found the end of the corridor. The chamber at the end of it was wider and higher than the stomach chamber. It was empty, save a column in the center built out of several inky tentacles which wrapped around each other into a tall, dark pillar. A light shined from the top of it.

"That must be it," said Tomoyo, pointing to the glimmer of light. "I think that's the heart."

"How do we get up there?" asked Sakura.

Kero stepped forward. "Leave this to me," he said smugly. He leaped up into the air and flew towards the top of the pillar. Just as he reached, however, the tentacles seemed to react. They reached up and swallowed the light. A muffled roar rang through the cavern. "That didn't work," he muttered. He landed back with the others. "Hey, I think it's on to us."

"Now what?" said Sakura.

"We'll just have to force our way through." Tomoyo drew her blade and struck the base of the pillar. She managed to make a small cut into the tentacle. Then another. Then another, and so on, as she hacked into the base of it repeatedly.

As Tomoyo attempted to knock down the column, Sakura noticed something else. The whispers of the Lost. Their voices grew out of the silence, and from the sound of it, there were more than last time. "Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura called.

Without stopping, Tomoyo replied, "I hear it."

From all directions the Lost emerged. There were probably around thirty or more of them approaching, closing up the space between them. "Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura shouted again. They were surrounded.

"Almost there…" With one last solid blow, the tentacle Tomoyo was attacking began to collapse. "Look out!"

The tentacle crashed to the side, before dissolving into the ground. For a moment they could see a glimmer of light from within the pillar. Then, from the root of the fallen tentacle sprang a new one in its place.

"Oh, come on!" Kero cried.

Tomoyo took a quick look around at the incoming Lost. "I fear I may have walked us into a trap!"

"What do we do now?" said Kero.

"I, um…" Tomoyo stammered. She could barely speak.

Kero looked at Sakura. "What about you, Sakura?"

The column seemed to regenerate itself, and the Lost were closing in. There wasn't much she could think of in this situation. There was not enough time to think much at all. The best thing they could do was retreat and think it over. "Let's fall back and come up with a new plan."

Kero nodded. "Got it. I'll get you out of here. Does that sound good, Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo did not respond. She seemed oddly fixated on the horde, with a faint expression.

"Tomoyo!" he repeated.

She did not seem to hear Kero, but muttered one word. "Mom." It was not the horde that she was thinking about, but one specific shadow.

"Tomoyo, I'm so sorry, but we can't stay," Kero pleaded.

Tomoyo bit her lip as her eyes began welling up with tears. "Isn't there anything we can do to save her?"

Sakura had already tried to use the brush on one of the Lost. She knew it had no effect. "I wish I could, but this doesn't work on them. We have to go."

"I know, but… What about the heart?" Tomoyo said meekly.

Sakura shook her head. "Forget it. Tomoeda's more important."

"You'll never see Li-san again."

Sakura was stuck. If she couldn't recover her heart after they destroyed the Blot, Tomoyo was right. She could never go home again. They were running out of time, though. The lost weren't getting any further away.

Perhaps the brush couldn't stop the Lost, but the heart was what she really needed. She had yet to try it on the tentacles that imprisoned that heart. She passed her makeshift torch to Tomoyo. Turning her back to the Lost, Sakura slashed the pillar with a spray of Paint. The whole thing shuddered as it was hit. She threw a couple more blows, but the effects did not become any more drastic. Another dead end.

She tightened her fist around the brush and raised it over her shoulder. Paint was only half of the power she held. "Begone!" Channeling all her desires to bring down this great monster and protect everyone she knew, Sakura swung the brush down hard. It let loose a burst of Thinner that cut through the pillar like a blade. The column of ink shuddered again, then vanished, revealing the ball of light concealed within. It drifted down towards them, fluttering into Sakura's waiting hands. As she reached out for it, it seemed to emanate a slight warmth. She cupped her hands around the light and pressed it against her chest. As she did, it appeared to be absorbed into her body.

The cavern shook violently as another roar pierced the air. She and Tomoyo both lost their footing and fell, as did the Lost. The walls began deteriorating, as specks of twilight broke through the cloud layer and shone through the Blot's collapsing body.

"What's happening?" Sakura said as she attempted to stand.

"The Blot was drawing power from the heart. Without it, it can't seem to maintain this size!" Tomoyo replied urgently.

"Uh, oh!" Kero swooped down. "Time to go!"

Sakura pulled herself up onto Kero's back. "I'm up!"

With one last glance at her mother's shadow, Tomoyo pulled herself up as well.

"You're real heavy, you know that?" Kero grunted. He flapped his wings furiously, but it was clear that they weren't gaining much altitude.

"We'll never make it," said Tomoyo. "He can't carry us both!"

"I'm not giving up that easy!" Kero cried in response. He flapped even harder, until finally his wings gave out, and he fell to the ground, dumping his passengers. He rolled back onto his feet, breathing hard.

At the very least, they had escaped the circle of Lost, who began crawling towards them after their landing. As the tremors died down, some were beginning to get back on their feet.

Tomoyo sat up. "Ngh… I had a feeling that wouldn't work."

"Was that the escape plan?" Kero moaned. "Didn't you think this through?"

She hesitated for a moment, then helped Sakura up and led her by the arm back to Kero. She retrieved something from a pocket sewn into her dress.

"What is that?" asked Sakura.

It appeared to be a controller of some kind. Its appearance was similar to that of a pen, with a red button at the top covered by a small cap. "Once I push this button, the Blot will be destroyed. All of this can come to an end, and all of these people will be freed."

"You can't do it while we're still in here!" said Kero. "Are you insane?"

"There'll be time for that after we escape," Sakura added. "We'll figure out another way!"

Tomoyo took a deep breath. "Kero-chan, take her. Get as far away from here as you can."

"W-what? What about you?"

Tomoyo averted her gaze. "D-don't worry about me."

"Grr… I'm not leaving you!" Kero growled. "I'll come back and get you."

"There's no time! Just go!"

Sakura grabbed her wrist. "You can't do this! I won't let you!"

Swatting her away, Tomoyo replied, "I'm not asking you to let me. I never asked you to sacrifice your heart to save me, even though it could have killed you. At the end of the day, you have someone who will miss you. Everyone here already thinks I am dead anyway."

"That's not true! What about Meiling-chan?" Sakura cried. "What about me?"

"I'm sorry." The tremors all but stopped as the Blot returned to its original size. The holes in its body began to reseal themselves. "Kero-chan, please take care of her for me."

Kero winced. If they did nothing, they'd be trapped. "Ngh… If you die, I won't forgive you!" She managed a slight smile in response. Kero grabbed Sakura by the belt with his teeth and lifted her off the floor.

"H-hey, what are you doing? Kero-chan! Stop!" She swung her arms and legs violently to try to break free. Balls of ink fell around them, with Kero weaving through the debris towards the nearest opening.

The Blot's body sealed behind them as he carried her beyond its walls. Even so high up, Sakura continued to struggle. "Kero-chan, we have to go back!"

He might have spoken, if his mouth was free.

"Kero-chan!" she screamed again. She watched as the Blot grew more distant, its usual eerie grin now an even more terrible grimace. It ignored them, still stunned by its sudden loss of power. He set her down at the gate of what once may have been an amusement park, but now laid in ruins. The castle Sakura woke up in that morning and everything around it was completely leveled, reduced to a pile of bricks and lumber. She lied there, sprawled out in the debris. Sakura grabbed Kero's leg, trying to beg him to go back, but her words were incoherent through the tears.

A loud, sudden blast ripped through the sky as flames burst from the Blot's chest, tearing it apart and launching ink in every direction. Droplets of ink fell like rain around her.

"She really did it," Kero muttered. "That idiot…"


	31. Chapter 31

The drizzle of ink continued as Sakura sat on her knees among the ruins of the park. She clenched her fists as she stared at where the Blot had been moments ago. It was over. The Blot was gone and Tomoeda was safe. But she felt little joy in their victory.

"Sakura," Kero said quietly.

"Kero-chan, how could you?" cried Sakura, slamming her fist into his shoulder. She fell onto her hands and knees as he returned to his more familiar toy-like form.

"I didn't have any other choice."

"We could have stayed," she whimpered.

Kero sighed. "If we had stayed, we'd all have been trapped in there."

"We could have figured something out!" shouted Sakura.

Kero backed away. "Sakura…" He bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't risk losing both of you."

Sakura sat up and buried her face in her hands. Her throat was sore from screaming. She said nothing, and Kero said nothing in return. As she wiped her face of tears with her arm, she noticed something. As the ink hit the ground, the dull, dismal landscape seemed to regain its color. She ran her fingers over a spot where the color had already been restored. It felt dry to the touch, somehow. It was as if the ink had been completely absorbed into the brick road.

"W-what's going on?" Sakura muttered hoarsely.

"The Blot absorbed a lot of the Paint from Tomoeda," Kero said.

It was certainly true that the Blot had drained the life from the landscape. In the destruction of the beast, all of that essence was restored into the world. The once-muted greens of the plants and reds of the brick had grown more vibrant. She lifted herself up onto her feet. The strange, opaque blue rain was beautiful, in its own way.

"We should be heading back," said Kero. "We have to let Kaho know what's happened."

Sakura hesitated. She was hoping that if she just stayed one minute longer, then Tomoyo would appear from within the ruins.

"Sakura…"

She made a small noise to acknowledge him, before putting the park behind her. As the rain settled, they began the walk back to Main Street.

The road back to Main Street was no less arduous than when she had first taken it. However, without the looming presence of the Blot and its minions, Sakura felt somewhat relaxed. The last rays of twilight filtered in through the trees, providing welcome relief from the blanket of clouds that had hung over the town for longer than Sakura had been there. Still, she found herself looking back occasionally.

The trip seemed somehow shorter than the first time she walked it, yet the sun had still fully set by the time she and the others reached Main Street. Streetlights flickered along the storefronts as she entered town. Sakura headed immediately to the town hall. Kaho was inside, speaking with Naoko and the two women from before.

"Ah, Sakura-san," Kaho said as Sakura stepped inside. "It's good to see you back safely."

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" asked Sakura timidly.

Kaho smiled. "Not at all. We were just waiting for you, actually."

"Um, okay." Sakura joined the group. "Well, we did it. We defeated the Blot," she said with a sigh.

Kaho sat at her desk. "I had the utmost faith in you."

"It was pretty cool," Naoko added. "I'm glad I was awake for it."

The woman who was referred to as Mihara during Sakura's last visit – Her name was Chiharu, if Sakura remembered correctly – spoke up. "That was you? So you not only saved our old teacher, but also stopped that thing?"

"Yes," Sakura replied. She felt a little embarrassed to be given so much praise. "I didn't do it alone, though."

"Ah. If I'm not mistaken, you had that girl Li's help, did you not?" said Kaho.

Sakura nodded. "Well, yes, but-" She found it hard to speak beyond that.

Kaho leaned forward. "What is the matter?"

Sakura felt the pressure of the other women's interest in her story, which made it all the more difficult to speak. She wasn't ready to discuss what happened in her battle with the Blot yet. Instead, she inquired about another missing presence. "Where is Meiling-chan?"

"Hm," said Kaho. "I have not seen her since you were last here. When did you get separated?"

"The last time I saw her was in Kodansha, but that was at least a few hours ago."

"I hope she's alright," said Naoko.

"Mhm," Sakura nodded. She knew Meiling was capable of taking care of herself though. It was Maki she was worried about. Even if Maki had tried to harm her or even take her life, Sakura could not wish death upon her in return. She was desperate and afraid, but she wasn't a bad person.

The door swung open again, grabbing the attention of the small group. "I'm back!" called Meiling, stepping inside With her was Yamazaki. Sakura was glad to see her again, even if just to verify her safety.

"Speak of the devil," Naoko chuckled.

"Oh, Sakura-san! Looks like you got back before me," Meiling continued, joining the group.

"Takashi, what are you doing here?" asked Chiharu, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you know, just stopping by," he shrugged.

"Actually," Meiling said, "I ran into him on the way to Nakayoshi. He helped me get Matsumoto-san to the hospital. Oh, speaking of which, I needed to talk to you about that, Mizuki-san."

"I see. That was very kind of you, Yamazaki-san," said Kaho. "Maki-san… She's-?" she muttered, but refocused her attention. "Ahem. What is it that you needed to say?"

"Um," Meiling said. "Would it be possible for you to let Matsumoto-san go after she recovers?"

"Hm," Kaho thought. "So it was Maki-san that we were looking for, was it? Are you certain that that would be a good idea? If she is the one who kidnapped Sakura-san, wouldn't it be dangerous?"

Meiling shook her head. "She's better now, right, Sakura-san?"

 _When did I become Sakura-san?_ Sakura thought. The last time she saw Meiling she was still calling her by her surname. But, whatever. That wasn't what was important. "Yeah. Don't worry, Mizuki-san. We can give her another chance."

"Alright, then," Kaho sighed. "If neither of you believe her to be a threat, then I will forgive her as well."

Meiling looked around. "Is it just you, Sakura-san?"

Sakura shuffled her foot uncomfortably. She knew that she must tell everyone what happened eventually, but with Meiling present, it was impossible to avoid any longer. "T-Tomoyo-chan's… gone."

"Tomoyo-chan?" Rika asked.

Naoko stepped forward. "What do you mean, gone?"

Sakura shrunk back. As she prepared to speak, there was a loud knock at the door. It sounded odd, like the visitor was kicking the door rather than knocking. Yamazaki hurried to let them in.

The visitor was an older woman with short reddish-brown hair, dressed in a red skirt and jacket. She was breathing hard. Cradled in her arms was a badly injured girl with long black hair and a patchwork dress.

Kaho jumped to her feet. "Sonomi-san?"

With an urgent look on her face, the woman nodded, clinging tight to the girl.


	32. Chapter 32

Kaho gasped, clasping one hand to her mouth. "Oh my gosh… Sonomi-san, is that really you?"

"I think so," the woman said.

"You're alive." Kaho looked totally dumbfounded.

"Oh, uh…" Rika bowed. "It's an honor to meet you, Daidouji-san. I've heard a lot about what you've done for the people of Tomoeda."

Sonomi chuckled nervously. "It was not that much. People often exaggerate."

"Um…" Kaho was still paralyzed with shock.

Sakura approached the woman and took one the injured girl's hands in hers. She could scarcely believe it. Tomoyo's breaths were slow and pained, both of her legs were lost below the knee, but she was there, unconscious but alive.

"What happened to her?" Meiling asked, turning towards Sakura.

Sakura bit her lip, letting go of Tomoyo's hand. "When the Blot took my heart, we went inside it to take it back. When we did, we also prepared to destroy it to protect Tomoeda. But, we weren't both able to get out. Tomoyo-chan stayed behind to set off the bombs."

Sonomi gasped uncomfortably. "W-what?"

"I don't understand," Kaho said. "I thought she was lost as well?"

"Lost?" Sonomi asked cautiously. "What are you talking about?"

"She went missing around the same time as you did, eight years ago," admitted Kaho. "I thought she was gone, too."

"Eight years? Tomoyo-chan…" Sonomi muttered. "Have you really been on you own this entire time? You must have been so lonely."

"You should take her to the hospital as soon as possible," said Kaho. "Although, I should like to talk with you about Tomoeda's future when you return."

"Yes, of course," Sonomi replied.

"Oh, one more thing," Kaho said suddenly. "How did you come back? Did anyone else return with you?"

"Um, yes, I am not the only one. When I woke up, I found myself lying in a large pool of ink, along with the others. It took some time to regain my bearings, but that was when someone discovered Tomoyo-chan. We… we had to bandage her legs, then I rushed to find you immediately."

Sakura was amazed. Not only had destroying the Blot freed Sonomi and the others from being imprisoned as Lost, but the restoration of the land was extended to them as well. Even more baffling was Tomoyo's surviving being inside of the monster when it was destroyed. Even avoiding the blast, the chamber where they had reclaimed her heart was far up within the monster's body. Was that residual pool of ink left behind by the Blot, as Sonomi described, enough to save her from her fall?

Kaho nodded. "I'll make sure to take census of everyone who's returned. For now though, I think it is best you take care of your daughter. I recommend talking to the fire department next door. It's not in the best condition, but the fire engine at least still works, and would be the fastest way there."

Sonomi steeled herself. "Alright. I'll be back later." She adjusted her daughter in her arms and left the way she came.

Meiling was the first to speak after she vanished out the door. "I do hope Daidouji-san will be okay."

Sakura knew that Sonomi would do everything in her power to help her daughter. But that was not always enough. Maki had done the same for Sonomi, with little success in her own attempt. "I do too."

"Yes, I think that sentiment is true for all of us. Ahem… Then, I suppose you will be going home now?" said Kaho.

"Mhm," Sakura replied. She folded her arms. "Although, I guess I won't be able to say goodbye to Tomoyo-chan."

"Don't worry, I'll pass on the message," said Meiling with a sympathetic smile.

Sakura nodded somberly. "Thank you."

Kaho walked to the door. "Go ahead and do what you need to. Once you're ready, meet me by the statue."

"Okay," said Sakura. She turned to the others. "Well, I guess this is it. Goodbye, everyone."

"Thank you, and goodbye," Rika replied.

"Good luck out there," Yamazaki added.

"If you're ever back here, you'll come see us, won't you?" said Naoko.

Sakura smiled. "Of course."

"In that case," said Chiharu. "Let's not think of this as a goodbye, but as a 'see you later.'"

"You're right," Sakura said. "Then, I'll see you all later."

"I'm looking forward to it," said Meiling. "In the meantime, I'll take care of Daidouji-san for you, I promise."

With one last nod, Sakura set out.

"I can't believe it's really true," Sakura said quietly. "She's alive."

Kero poked his head out of her bag. "You don't seem as happy as I thought you'd be."

"I am!" Sakura pleaded. "It's just, I know she's alive now, but I'm still worried about her. She lost her legs, and she seems like she's really hurt."

"She'll pull through. She has everyone to look after her. So… don't worry, alright?"

It was easier said than done. She reminded herself that nothing would come of worrying herself sick, so she allowed the conversation to end there. She still had to find everyone and say goodbye.

Her first stop was the Emporium. Her older brother was sitting on the counter, patiently waiting for the next visitor. As she stepped inside, he slid off the counter.

"Oh, it's just you," Touya said in mock derision.

Sakura hung her head. "I, um, came to say goodbye."

Touya stepped out from behind the counter and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You aren't… hurt, are you?"

Sakura shook her head quickly. "No, I'm alright! Really!"

He lifted his hand and ruffled her hair. "Take care of yourself, okay? I don't want you doing anything reckless."

Sakura brushed her hair back into place with her hand. "I will."

He leaned on the edge of the counter and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Heh. Atta girl. Goodbye, I guess."

Sakura ran up and embraced him. "I'm sorry!" she cried. "I wish I could stay, but I can't!"

"S-sis!"

It was hard to leave, knowing that once she did she had no way to talk to him or anyone else she met here again. Through all of his teasing, she couldn't even tell herself that she'd be happy to get away from Touya again. In a way, she'd kind of miss it.

"I'll miss you," Sakura muttered.

Touya chuckled. "I'll miss you too, little monster."

Sakura let go and stepped back. "Um… Goodbye, Oniichan."

"See you, Sakura-chan." He walked back to the counter. "Dad's at the ice cream parlor, I think. Make sure to see him before you go, if you haven't already."

"I will!" said Sakura. "Thank you."

Touya chuckled appreciatively.

Sakura collected herself and hurried over to the parlor. She immediately recognized her father sitting at the counter, still dressed in his work attire. As she walked up to the counter, Yukito greeted her. She waved back to him as her father turned around in surprise.

"Oh, Sakura-chan!" he said. "You're-"

Sakura anticipated what he was going to say, and immediately interjected, "I'm alright."

"W-what happened to you?"

She shrugged. "It's a long story."

Fujitaka slunk in his chair. "Yes, you have to go, don't you?"

Sakura nodded solemnly.

"Will you ever be able to come back?" asked Yukito.

She sighed. "I don't think- Uh, I don't know."

Fujitaka smiled softly. "I'm glad you came to see me before you went, then."

Sakura shuffled her foot uncomfortably. "Yeah."

Her father stood and hugged her. "I know you've been through a lot today. Take some time to rest, okay?"

"I will."

He let her go. "I heard you went up against that terrible beast. Thank you for helping all of us. But, do promise me you won't do anything dangerous, okay?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Where did you hear that?"

He furrowed his brow. "I know what you did for Terada-sensei, and there are rumors spreading about you. The day you showed up, that thing made its attack, and was destroyed. And then, you came back hurt. Because of that, I can only think those rumors are true. I just don't want you to put yourself at risk like that."

"I'm sorry," said Sakura. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

"I will," Sakura replied. Seeing her father's worry hurt all the more, knowing she had willingly given up her heart and potentially her life to save her friends. She hoped that he'd never have to know of how close she came to death. "Well, I should go…"

Fukitaka nodded in understanding. "Goodbye, Sakura-chan."

"Oh! Goodbye, then…" added Yukito.

Knowing it might be her last chance, Sakura gave her father one last hug. "Goodbye, dad." She stepped back and bowed a little. "Goodbye, Yukito-san."

All of the energy she had left she expended on the way out the door. By the time she reached the place where she was meant to meet Kaho, she both wanted nothing but to leave and to do anything but leave. The sky had gone pitch black by the time she met Kaho. Kaho was sitting patiently on one of the benches by the statue, talking to a brown-haired woman who was probably about Touya's age. She smiled as Sakura approached.

"Ah, Sakura-san. Have you done everything you needed?" asked Kaho.

"Well, I've done everything I can." She was happy at least that she could meet with so many of her old friends.

Kaho motioned to the girl sitting next to her. "You remember Ruby, right?"

Sakura didn't remember her particularly well, so she just said, "Oh, hi."

"She's acting as my assistant nowadays. Along with Keroberos, of course."

"You're leaving, huh?" asked Ruby, leaning forward on the bench. "So, how're you gonna do that?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know."

"Easy. I'll take her." Kero poked his head out of the bag.

"Kero-chan!" Sakura gasped.

"Don't worry, Ruby's okay," said Kaho with restrained brightness.

"I'm better than okay," Ruby replied haughtily.

"Very well, then," said Kaho. "It was nice to see you again, Sakura-san. Take care." She stood and bowed. "Oh, one more thing." She handed Sakura a flashlight. "It's gotten quite late. You might need this."

"Thank you. Goodbye, Mizuki-san. Bye, Ruby-san!" Sakura said in return. With that, Kaho headed back to the town hall, with Ruby skipping along behind her.

"Are you ready?" Kero said.

"Not yet." There was still something she wanted to do on the way. "Let's go to Nakayoshi again first. I want to say goodbye to Syaoran's mom before we go."

With the school closed, it was difficult to find Yelan in such a large town, but eventually she managed to get pointed in the right direction. She stayed long enough for a cup of tea, making small talk with her mother-in-law about her life at home. She would have liked to stay longer, to keep Yelan company, but the longer she was gone the more Syaoran would worry. After one last goodbye, it was finally time to go home.


	33. Chapter 33

The light from Sakura's flashlight glimmered off the water as she soared over what had been the Thinner Sea. It was difficult to tell just how much it had been affected. Looking back, she could see the lights from Tomoeda shining in the distance.

Kero stopped a long ways from the island. There was a slight distortion in the air, as the air itself seemed to ripple like waves in a small pond. "This is our stop," he said.

"Thank you, Kero-chan." She leaned forward and hugged him.

"C-careful! Don't fall!" he said quickly. As he recovered, Kero added, "Um, no problem. Just don't forget about us, alright?"

"I promise." No matter what, Sakura vowed to never again forget anyone who helped her along her journey. If she did, she told herself, then what would she say when she got back?

"This is as far as I can go," said Kero. "You'll have to make a jump for it. We don't know where you'll get out, so I'll stay near the surface."

"Okay." Sakura prepared to make a jump for the barrier. "Um, well… I'll see you later, Kero-chan."

"Heh. See ya."

With one last nod, Sakura leapt into the distortion. The moment she hit the barrier, she was hit with a force like a punch to the gut. A moment later, she was lying on a cold tile floor. She sat up, taking in her surroundings.

She was not at home. Yet, the place she was in was familiar. Shelves line the walls, and a large table and chair sat at her feet. There was a fireplace on the far wall, over which a large mirror was hung. A blue curtain covered a window, through which daylight shone. On another wall was a door which was left slightly open. The table was clear save a large model. She had not returned home, but to the workshop from her memories.

She took the brush from the bag and set it gently on the table. As she did, she heard a voice. "So, you were the one."

Sakura gasped, jumping back. Standing at the door was a young man in a white shirt, vest, and slacks. He had dark hair and glasses, and wore a calm but stern expression.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know how I got here!" Sakura said, in almost a single breath.

He glared at her. "You came out of that world, didn't you?"

"Huh?" Sakura looked at the model on the table, which she presumed was the gateway to that other world. She took a couple more steps back. If he knew about Tomoeda, then he might have been responsible for its existence. And for putting its inhabitants there in the first place. "W-who are you? What do you want?"

He held up his hand. "Don't worry. I don't mean you any harm." He walked over to one of the shelves and picked up one of the jugs. As he poured a little of its contents onto a small washcloth, he said, "If I had to guess, you are Kinomoto-san, right?"

Sakura felt a lump in her throat. "Y-you know me?"

Setting the bottle back on the shelf, he turned to face her. "Well, your popularity is still fairly strong, although it's been a while since we last met. I suppose I can't blame you for forgetting."

 _Oh, right_. Sakura had forgotten about her celebrity status.

"I suppose it's not important. If it helps jog your memory, my name is Eriol Hiiragizawa. I believe we met shortly after you became master of the Clow Cards." He walked over to where she was standing.

"Oh," Sakura muttered. "Um, Eriol-san?"

"Yes?" he asked. Sakura flinched a little as he reached out with the cloth. He dabbed it over the burn on Sakura's arm. It stung a bit, but after a few moments the red marks on her skin had faded.

"Oh, wow… Um, thanks. But, can you explain what's going on? I don't understand why everyone who I knew when I grew up is in such a world."

"It's probably best you didn't worry about such things," he said. He set the cloth on the edge of the table, seemingly taking great care to keep it away from the model of Tomoeda, or rather, the model that was Tomoeda.

"I have to know. What is it you aren't telling me?"

Eriol sighed. "Knowing will only make things more difficult for you."

Fighting the Blot was difficult. Facing Maki was difficult. Almost losing Tomoyo was difficult. She could handle difficult, but she couldn't handle not knowing. "Tell me anyway."

Eriol shook his head. "Very well. It won't be easy to accept, but if you really wish to know, I will tell you."

"Thank you."

"To put it frankly," Eriol said. "Your existence is not a normal one. Nor is it for those who you met in that world. Though you may remember your childhood, these memories are not real."

"What does that mean?" asked Sakura. How could her memories be fake? If they were, was anything she knew meaningful?

"As a Master of the Cards, you are surely familiar with the magic that exists in our world. However, it is not limited to the power contained in those cards. Your very existence is owed to the belief in you placed by other people. Because people wished you to be real, you became real."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, real? Of course I'm real. I can… feel things. Emotions. How could I do that if I wasn't real?"

"I told you it would be difficult to accept. But you, as well as your special one and everyone you met in the other world, were born from a wish. The wish of those who came to love you."

"I just… that's impossible." She decided to move on. "Then why is it that only Syaoran and I aren't there? Why is everyone else trapped there? Why did they get put there?"

"Time passes. People forget. Eventually there wasn't enough willpower to sustain them. I had that world prepared for the day it should come that these people were forgotten. If they were left in the real world, they would fade from existence. I could not allow that to happen. You and Li-san were able to stay because you were fortunate enough to linger in the memories of the people, but everyone else… they began to forget."

"Well," Sakura said, scratching her head. "If people remembered them, could they come back?"

Eriol crossed his arms, furrowing his brow. "I… don't know. Their hearts, their being… They no longer exist. It is impossible for them to leave without that part of themselves. It could be possible for them to recover it if people once again remembered them, but even I cannot give you a certain answer."

Sakura nodded. "I think I understand. Well, I'll do what I can." It was still so hard to comprehend the idea that she was born from magic, but if that was the case, then so be it. She could worry about that once her friends were once again by her side.

He smiled. "For now, then, you should return home. I should thank you for restoring my world. I shall do what I can to help fix it, but it is up to the inhabitants to bring it back to its former glory."

 _Can I really be praised for such a thing?_ "Even if I ruined it in the first place?"

Eriol nodded. "Especially then. You took responsibility, after all."

Sakura pointed to the cloth. "Um, may I?" He handed it to her, and she sat in the chair to dab the ointment over the burns on her legs. "To be honest, I didn't know it was my fault at first. It was just so awful to see, I couldn't leave yet."

"Hm," Eriol thought. "I've never actually seen the inside of my own world. Maybe someday we can meet again and discuss it." He moved over to the mirror. Sakura set the cloth in the chair and joined him. "Now then, are you ready to return home?"

"Yes," said Sakura. "Although I would be happy to meet them again… If I could."

Eriol waved a hand in front of the mirror. As he did, the glass began to ripple. "This should take you back the way you came in. Next time I'm in Japan, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Thank you, Eriol-san. I'm looking forward to it."

"Until then, Sakura-san."

Sakura climbed up onto the mantle of the fireplace and put a hand up against the mirror. Her arm passed through it. As she crawled through, she came out through the mirror above the dresser of her own bedroom. She climbed down from the dresser and looked around her room. Everything was still in place, aside from the unmade bed. It looked as though nothing had ever happened.

After a quick shower to wash off the dirt and blood, Sakura changed into one of her nightgowns. The dress Touya had given her was beyond anything she could fix. She put it in a bag and left it in the garage to be taken out later. Once she was done, she prepared a quick dinner and waited for Syaoran to return. She sat with the television off in the living room, just thinking about what to say to him when he got home. She could hardly believe it all herself, even after living through it. Explaining it to someone else was going to be tough, but she knew he wouldn't dismiss what she had to say.


	34. Epilogue

Sonomi felt herself drifting as the sound of heavy rain pounded on the roof of her apartment. As intently as she tried to read, it was late, and reconstruction efforts had left her restless. As she poured out another cup of coffee, there was a knock at the door.

It took a moment for Sonomi to register what was happening. As soon as she did, though, she hurried to answer it. A woman in a heavy raincoat was waiting at the door, shielding herself from the rain with an umbrella. The left sleeve of the woman's coat was tied off at the elbow. As Sonomi opened the door, she smiled.

"Maki?" Sonomi gasped. "Um, please come in." She led Maki inside, taking the umbrella and setting it against the wall next to the door.

"Thank you. It's really coming down out there, isn't it?" said Maki. She removed her raincoat and hung it up.

"Yeah," Sonomi replied, peering out into the storm. She turned back to Maki. "What are you doing here this late?"

Maki brushed some of the rainwater out of her hair. In a t-shirt and jeans, the loss of her arm was all the more noticeable. "I finally got discharged from the hospital, so I thought I'd come let you know."

"Oh, I see." She offered Maki a seat. "Would you like anything to drink? Coffee? Tea?"

"Tea would be lovely, if it's not too much of a bother."

Sonomi nodded. "Okay, just a moment." She started towards the kitchen, but stopped a moment to add, "You know, it's kind of funny seeing you dressed that way."

Maki tugged on her shirt. "You think?"

"Well, normally you're always wearing that dress. Do you have, like, multiple of that one outfit or something?"

Maki chuckled. "I did have a couple, actually. The one I was wearing when I went there was ruined, though. So, I get to wear this instead."

Sonomi went to set the tea, then sat down across from her. "Um, since you're here, I have to ask. How is she?"

With a sigh, Maki said, "Still asleep."

Sonomi hung her head. "It's been almost two weeks. I'm worried about her."

"I am, too. But the doctors have been doing everything they can to make sure she fully recovers."

"What if she doesn't?" Sonomi groaned.

"She will."

"How can you be so sure?"

Maki leaned back in her chair. "I'm… not. But worrying about her won't help anything. We just have to do what we can and believe in her."

"I know. It's just difficult. I've been gone so long, I just want to tell her I'm okay."

"Well, when the time comes, I'm sure she'll be happy to say the same thing."

Sonomi nodded gloomily. "I guess you're right." She looked back up at Maki. "Can you do something for me?"

"Huh?" said Maki. "What is it?"

"I must continue helping with reconstruction, so… I can't visit her very often," she sighed. "Would you be okay keeping an eye on my daughter for me?"

"Why don't you leave that to Kaho-san and her assistant? I'm… sure Tomoyo-chan would rather see you than me."

"Now that I'm back, Kaho-san's stepped back down as mayor, leaving the task to me. I can't ignore them."

"Of course," said Maki. "If something happens, I'll send for you immediately."

"Thank you." Sonomi stood back up. "Um, I'll be right back. Let me get the tea for you."

While Sonomi returned to the kitchen, Maki took a look around. She'd been to visit every so often before the disaster. The place was small, but it was still large enough for Sonomi and her daughter to live comfortably. She wondered if Tomoyo's room had been touched since she disappeared so many years ago. Had even Sonomi gone inside since she returned?

Aside from that, she noticed a rather large book in the corner of the room. She walked over to examine it. The book was quite weathered, with the pages frayed and yellowed.

"Is something the matter?" Sonomi asked as she returned with a tea tray.

Maki nearly jumped. As she caught herself, she turned back to Sonomi. "No, nothing."

Sonomi set the tray on the coffee table by their seats. "I was just doing some research. I wanted to see if I could find anything that could help us go home."

"This is… Where did you find this?"

"We recovered it during a scavenging mission. It was locked away in a vault in the Scrapyard."

"I see. It was written by your grandfather, right?"

Sonomi shook her head. "I thought so too, since I didn't know where else he could have gotten it. But when I was reading it, I noticed that there were notes written in along the sides in his handwriting."

"So you think someone else wrote it?"

"It's… not necessarily the case. But, it's possible."

"So, what did you figure out?"

Taking her seat, Sonomi said, "Nothing new yet. The properties of Paint and Thinner, and the ability to cross the barrier with the possession of a heart. If we had this, it could have advanced our research far beyond what we had done on our own. Whoever wrote this, though, seems to have had an acute understanding of this world prior to our research. Something they felt was important enough to pass on."

Maki took her seat as well. "I see. I wonder why he kept it secret, then… Please let me know if you learn anything new."

"Of course." Sonomi poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, before retrieving her cup of coffee from her desk and returning to her seat. "What about you? Will you be alright?"

Maki glanced at her arm. "Oh, um… Yes, that can be replaced."

Sonomi took a deep breath. "I suppose if you're not worried about it…"

"Um, sorry. If you want to help, I could use somewhere to stay for a while. Kaho-san agreed not to disclose my actions to the public, but rumors have somehow spread anyway. Most people seem to recognize that I was hiding out over the past few years, and… Well, I don't blame Kaho-san. I know she wasn't the one spreading the rumor." She gritted her teeth, tears welling up under her eyes. "I know I deserve it this time, but I'm just so tired of being treated like a criminal!"

"If it helps, I know what happened, and I don't think you're a criminal."

Maki shook her head. "That's because we're friends. If we didn't know each other, I doubt you'd feel the same way."

Sonomi paused for a moment. "Well, um, if you hadn't brought Nadeshiko's daughter here, the Blot would still be alive, and then I wouldn't be here. That's… something."

Maki gave an uneasy chuckle. "If only everyone else saw it that way. But it doesn't matter what happened, it's what was intended. Not to mention what happened to Tomoyo-chan…"

Sonomi groaned uncomfortably. "Yes, I suppose. You can stay here, then. If you want, you can use Tomoyo-chan's room until she recovers."

"No, I'd rather not intrude on her space. If it's alright, the couch is good enough for me."

"Ah, I understand. I'll move my work to my room so I don't keep you up, then."

"Huh?" Maki gasped. "It's okay, I don't want to interfere with your work!"

"Don't worry about it, it's no bother."

"Um, okay." Maki smiled. "Thank you."


End file.
